In recent years Open Banking has taken off in popularity, morphing from a new – and exciting – addition to the financial sector, to a practice used by an entire community across Europe. Since the advent of PSD2 just five years ago, thousands of fintech startups have begun all across Europe, and millions of customers and businesses have started integrating open banking technologies into their daily lives and business practices.
But as open banking continues its rapid growth, it can be difficult to stay on top of the news surrounding its development, especially in Europe, the hotbed of all things fintech and open banking.
To help you keep on top of the latest open banking news, the history of the practice, and a deeper analysis and understanding of what open banking entails, we’ve put together a list of 15 people across the continent who frequently share information about open banking. Many of the people on this list are journalists, but we’ve also included CEOs, researchers and podcast hosts, so you get a variety of viewpoints on open banking.
If you’re familiar with open banking you likely already know about Helen Child, the co-creator of Open Banking Excellence, which describes itself as a kind of central hub for those in the open banking community around Europe and the world to meet, learn and collaborate. On OBE’s website Child hosts “campfires,” which are discussion panels about open banking that you can either stream while they’re ongoing, or watch back later. The talk on June 16 revolves around security and fraud. In addition to those recorded panels, Child is frequently interviewed about open banking and serves as a speaker at conferences regarding digital banking and financial technology. On her Twitter and LinkedIn pages, Child also shares information about open banking and digital finances.
As the former Editor-in Chief of Fintech Magazine and founder of Fintechly, Derin Cag has his finger on the pulse of everything Fintech and open banking-related. For Fintech Magazine, Derin has written about consumer expectations when it comes to digital banking, as well as comprehensive guides to open banking, how it works and why it’s beneficial. Now, Derin covers the field extensively for Fintechly and writes about what the future looks like for financial technology and digital banking.
A journalist and editor with Fintech Futures, Paul Hindle frequently shares information about fintechs, open banking and digital finances in online articles and on the podcast he hosts called “What the Fintech” in which he invites industry experts to discuss the market (and which buzzwords need to end up in the “fintech jailhouse”). The podcast is on its third season and the first episode this year released in February revolves around open banking. If reading about open banking (rather than listening) is more your speed, he also frequently writes about the digital financial industry for Fintech Futures.
The European Merchant Bank’s Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Ekmel Çilingir has a true passion for the financial sector, so much so that he writes frequently about the field on his personal website, often discussing the rise of digital services and open banking as he does. In his latest post about the future of banking in the EU, Ekmel details how rapidly open banking is growing, and predictions for the future of the service over the next four years.
Fintech Times Features Editor Polly Jean Harrison is another great person to follow if you’re looking for breaking, up-to-date and in-depth news in the world of Open Banking in Europe. For The Fintech Times, Polly writes about: partnerships between payment service providers, ways to reduce the risk of data breaches, open banking connectivity and more. She also serves on panels and goes on podcasts discussing fintech. As an added bonus, Polly links to plenty of stories and talks about fintech on her Twitter profile. In May, Polly was shortlisted for a Fintech Journalist of the Year award by Headline Money.
Alexander Eerdmans is the Vice President of Capgemini Invent, a Paris-based information technology services company. As an expert in the field of technology and banking, Alexander shares his knowledge frequently, especially in interviews hosted by his company, Capgemini Invent, which look at growth in banking, the future of open banking and the intricacies of PSD2. He also co-writes several pieces on the topic for various digital finance websites.
Amit Mallick handles global open banking content for the information technology website, Accenture. That means Amit writes frequent posts about open banking and financial technology around Europe and the rest of the world. Recently he’s used the blog to look at topics like how digital banking has grown over the years and how an open banking market infrastructure should be established to avoid issues of fraud. When it comes to how open banking will continue to transform the financial industry – and how to prepare for that transformation – Amit has the answers.
Vlad Macovei is the editor of Netherlands-based media outlet, The Paypers, which reports on open banking, fintechs and global payments. Vlad shares news reports and information regarding open banking on his LinkedIn profile several times a week, frequently highlighting the new steps taken in the industry. Vlad also helps publish a yearly report for The Paypers on the state of open banking, and in the 2021 edition, wrote about the “Underdogs of Open Banking.” Follow his linkedin profile and his work in The Paypers for news on open banking around Europe.
As CEO of the popular fintech Yolt, which helps businesses implement open banking solutions, Nicolas Weng Kan knows a lot about the value of open banking. After taking the reins, Weng Kan announced last year that the company was closing its customer app to focus solely on helping businesses access and use open banking services. He frequently talks with reporters and media about open banking solutions and the future of the digital financial industry, in interviews for online publications like S&P Global or for video podcasts like Fintech Focus TV.
If you’re after some long reads and a more in-depth look at the history of open banking, how it came to be and the ways it’s changed the market, look no further than author, researcher, and consultant Paul Rohan, who’s based in Dublin. Currently Head of Business Strategy for Financial Services with Google, Paul has a history in financial services. He has published two books on the issue, including PSD2 in Plain English in 2016, which deciphered a lot of the technical jargon regarding open banking, and aimed to introduce people to the world of open banking. These days, Paul shares information about the financial sector on his Linkedin and in various Youtube videos and interviews.
Over the past few years, researcher and writer and fintech expert Sarah Kocianski has been vocal in the UK financial sector, analyzing recent trends and discussing in articles, Youtube videos and podcasts the changes to the banking industry over the last decade. Formerly the head of research with 11:FS, Sarah hosted over 100 episodes for the site’s Fintech Insider podcast, and wrote a popular article “Open banking, two years on.” Now, Sarah leads strategic insights for fintech at Founders Factory. One of her most recent articles centers on the future of BNPL for Founders Factory.
When it comes to breaking news in the world of Fintech, Aisha Gani is a fantastic source. As a journalist for Bloomberg, Gani keeps a keen eye on the fintech landscape in Europe. Recently she’s covered the debt issues facing Swedish-based Fintech giant Klarna; she’s also written articles on how fintechs in the UK are struggling to keep their position as leaders in the open banking world in light of Brexit, and how sanctions in Russia have affected the financial sector. If you’re after current events in the world of Fintech, Aisha is the person to keep an eye on.
Token, a well-known fintech providing open banking services to companies since 2016, has a CEO with 35 years of experience in the field of financial services and software – and he’s eager to talk about what he knows. Todd Clyde, who joined the company in 2016 to push Token toward open banking, frequently serves on panels and does interviews on the future of payments and open banking in Europe, the barriers he can predict, and advice for young fintech entrepreneurs. On his Twitter account, Todd shares a lot of news, much of which revolves around Token, but also contains excellent insight into open banking and its future.
As the Chief Product Officer of GoCardless, a fintech company with a focus on bank-to-bank and account-to-account payments, Duncan Barrigan has a wealth of knowledge about open banking. He shares that knowledge, especially about the future of bank-to-bank payments in articles on GoCardless’s website and in various interviews and podcasts. In one podcast last year he discussed open banking in the United States, and in another with OBE, he discussed Variable Recurring Payments.
A freelance content marketer and a fintech expert, Anaëlle Gautier is a great source for many things fintech- and open banking-related. Anaëlle hosts a weekly podcast called FinTeach, in which she invites and interviews experts in the Fintech world in France, largely about how they got their beginnings and their views on the market. Anaëlle is Paris-based so her podcast is in French, but even if you don’t speak French, she’s still a great person to follow; on her Linkedin, Anaëlle posts regular news and updates regarding Fintech markets in Europe.
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APIs are essential to the process of Open Banking because they pave the way for data sharing in a safe, secure, standardized and efficient w
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A package of new draft proposals, PSD3 and PSR, includes plans to strengthen customer rights, combat fraud and improve APIs
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Open banking is extremely popular around Europe, not just the UK
