As the industry’s attention remains on the Halloween Brexit deadline, there’s another frightening date which has been flying under the radar. On the 9^th December, the last major aspect of the SMCR falls into place (save for a 12-month transitional period). Given the amount of time banks have had to prepare, one would assume that the SMCR rules are embedded in company culture, but figures suggest otherwise, and banks who fail to prepare risk more than a slap on the wrist. In 2018, there was a 70% rise in FCA lifetime bans compared to 2017.

Digital Vega, the leading FX Options e-trading platform and provider of FX Options trading solutions, today announced three senior appointments, which support its ongoing product development and global expansion strategy.

Simon Nursey, Head of Asia. Simon joins from Standard Chartered Bank, where he was Head of FX Options Trading in Asia since 2012. Prior to this he was Global Head of Currency Options trading at BNP Paribas for 17 years, working in both London and Singapore.

FSS (Financial Software and Systems), a global payments technology company, announced the successful implementation of its Reconciliation Suite solution at Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first payments bank. FSS Reconciliation Suite provides an integrated solution that enables Airtel Payments Bank to automate the reconciliation process across payment channels.

Nutanix’s global workforce of over 5000 employees are learning to Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - one of the organization’s newly developed Culture Principles. In this interview, Nutanix Director of People Development and Culture, Deep Mahajan, shares her experience of transforming and evolving the company’s culture

Tell us about Nutanix:

Ripple, the enterprise blockchain solution for global payments, and Finastra have teamed up to offer Ripple’s blockchain technology through Finastra’s payments solutions to support fast cross-border payments. As part of the collaboration, Finastra’s customers will be able to connect and transact with RippleNet partners - more than 200 financial institutions worldwide - and in turn, partners can access Finastra’s vast global footprint.

Mashreq, one of the leading financial institutions in the UAE, has partnered with Avaya Holdings Corp. (NYSE: AVYA) and Koopid to create a new banking experience that represents a giant leap forward for customer experience, including self-service capabilities, with the region’s first digital engagement banking bot.

AfricaCom 2019 featuring AfricaTech is only five weeks away, and with a multitude of content on offer, here is a quick round-up of the top reasons why professionals in the technology and telecommunications space, and just about anyone who has an interest in how these sectors are shaping our collective future, should attend. (The event takes place 12-14 November 2019 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa).

Cynamics, an Israeli USA-based Network Performance Monitoring & Diagnostics (NPMD) company, has launched a new holistic approach to network security that grants smart cities and governments unprecedented network visibility and improved prediction of attacks, all at a fraction of the cost of prevailing solutions.
 

Semafone®, the leading provider of data security and multi-channel compliance solutions for call and contact centres, has appointed Marc Cremer as Executive Vice President of Sales for North America. Cremer will be responsible for leading Semafone’s direct, partner, and channel sales teams as well as growing strategic relationships with high-value customers and partners. Additionally, he will lead the expansion of Semafone’s North American sales team, adding top talent in 2020 and beyond. 

Bahruz Naghiyev, Member of the Executive Board, Pasha Bank at Sibos 2019