RSRCHXchange, the research marketplace and aggregator, today announced an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiative with dedicated functionality on its RSRCHX platform focusing on specialist ESG research. 

With concerns around responsible investing becoming increasingly prevalent, ESG research has seen a large rise in popularity, helping investors ensure they are able to direct their funds into sustainable opportunities which take the long-term picture into account. 

With issues such as climate change and company management recently being brought into stark focus, many are turning to ESG research to ensure their portfolios continue to comply and attract a new generation of impact conscious investors. New regulations are driving demand for sustainable investments, including IORP II and the European Commission’s Action Plan on Sustainable Finance in Europe and new rules from the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK. 

RSRCHX now hosts ESG research from a wide range of providers, including independent research specialists as well as ESG research from banks and brokers. RSRCHX has introduced a dedicated section for research looking at various crucial aspects of the ESG space, allowing professional client users to purchase reports on both an individual and bespoke basis, as well as purchasing analyst time for further dedicated ESG insights.

Mark Andrich, CEO & Founder, Sustainable Platform, commented: “Sustainable Development is the only tangible concept that can help the environment and others today and, ultimately, underlies long-term risk/profitability of businesses into the future. Sustainable Development Goals bring focus and opportunity to quantify sustainable development contributions of companies which is important not only for impact investors, but also investors seeking businesses focused on meeting future demand from a new generation of customers expecting sustainable outcomes. We are delighted to partner with RSRCHXchange to provide these insights on SDG impact and sustainability risk to their clients through our unique data and reports.”

Jeremy Davies, Co-Founder, RSRCHXchange, added: “Following increasing demand for ESG research from many of our clients on the RSRCHX platform, we are very pleased to offer a specific point of focus for our users to discover and buy reports and analyst meetings that are proving essential to their decisions in the current landscape. With a wide scope of priced reports and bespoke research, we are proud to be a platform providing clients with this essential coverage all in one place.” 

Startupbootcamp InsurTech welcomes Manjit Rana, founder and CEO of innovation consultancy, Ingenin Ltd, as Managing Director for Corporate Innovation in Insurance, to lead the development and launch of a new range of corporate innovation products and services.

Manjit has extensive experience in working with insurers on internal proposition development and developing new startups. Over the last 30+ years, he has helped insurers navigate InsurTech disruption by honing their vision, exploring innovative ideas and harnessing the power of broad-scale collaboration. He has co-founded numerous startup businesses both directly and for corporates such as Fujitsu Consulting and has an extensive advisor portfolio, including RightIndem, OSeven, syntrAA and is also Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Nottingham.

Following the success of the current SBC InsurTech programmes operating in London and Hartford Connecticut, and with insurance companies now starting to invest more seriously into their own innovation programmes, SBC believes that there is a clear opportunity to develop a range of products and services designed to help corporates build and operate these programmes more effectively and successfully.

Commenting on his appointment, Manjit Rana says: “SBC InsurTech is so much more than an organisation that helps InsurTech businesses become investor ready. As we continue to engage with the insurance industry and understand their priorities, there is an opportunity to develop bespoke products and services to address the specific challenges faced when it comes to innovation. I am excited to join the SBC InsurTech team to create world-class solutions for insurers.”

“Manjit’s role as advisor to leading InsurTech startups as well as having been a mentor for SBC InsurTech since 2015 among others, means that he is permanently well-informed on what matters for the industry. I am thrilled that he is joining our ever-growing team as we take the next step in our engagement with our existing partners, brokers, insurers and reinsurers, ensuring that we continue to deliver high-end solutions to the market,” adds Sabine VanderLinden, CEO, Startupbootcamp InsurTech. 

Manjit will join the SBC InsurTech team in London and work closely with SBC InsurTech CEO, Sabine VanderLinden, to develop and refine the suite of corporate innovation products and services to ensure that they meet the needs of a fast-paced evolving market. He will continue to be involved in the broader insurance industry as an advisor and regular speaker at industry events.

iwoca, one of Europe’s fastest growing small business lenders, is delighted to announce that Seema Desai has been named Chief Operations Officer (COO). Seema joins a small but growing number of women at C-suite level in the fintech industry.

As COO, Seema will scale the exceptional customer service that has helped propel iwoca to the status of fastest growing business lender in the UK, according to the Sunday Times Tech Track 100. A passionate advocate of equal opportunities, she will also continue to lead iwoca’s efforts to achieve greater diversity and inclusion across the fintech industry.

A survey of 245 fintech companies operating in the UK, carried out between February and May 2017 by EY and Innovate Financeon behalf of the Treasury, found that women account for just 17% of senior executives in the industry. Currently, 38% of iwoca senior executives are women. In the UK as a whole, women make up 47% of the workforce, but only fill 14.4% of all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations.

Seema joined iwoca in January 2017 as Head of People, developing iwoca’s talent and organisational capabilities. Prior to joining iwoca, Seema led the development of the Innovative Finance ISA at peer-to-peer lender Zopa as Head of Product. Prior to that, she helped members to drive financial inclusion in emerging markets at GSMA, the trade body of mobile network operators, before which she gained experience in traditional banking as Head of Retail Savings Products at Halifax and Bank of Scotland (HBOS).

Christoph Rieche, CEO and co-founder, iwoca said: “Seema has been an exceptional hire for iwoca, working tirelessly over the last 18 months to tackle the painful organisational challenges that beset hyper growth scale-ups like us. She has helped iwoca overcome these hurdles by fostering a mindful and motivated culture that enables the high performance essential for achieving our dream to fund a million small businesses. She's smart, humble and passionate. As COO, I need her to continue to move mountains to unlock access to finance for small businesses across Europe.”

Seema Desai, COO and Head of People, iwoca said: “I’m proud to be part of iwoca’s mission to help small businesses thrive and I’m excited to play a greater role in what’s possible for our team going forward. Since I arrived at iwoca two years ago, I’ve seen what a tremendous difference the personal service provided by our expert Customer Success team makes for small business owners, empowering them to get the capital they need to achieve their full potential. There’s still a lot more work to do and I’m thrilled to have my new role in that journey.”

iwoca provides loans of up to £200,000 to small and micro businesses across the UK, Germany and Poland via its website and through partner integrations using its proprietary Lending API. With the use of award-winning technology, iwoca aims to unlock economic growth in Europe by breaking down the barriers that make it difficult for Europe’s 20 million small businesses to access finance.

Kaizen Analytix LLC, a leading analytics products and services provider, announced the launch of KaizenPrice for Entertainment Operators at this week's 2018 IAAPA Expo in Orlando, at which Kaizen is a sponsor.

KaizenPrice for Entertainment Operators, an easy-to-use application on a modern machine technology platform, combines your transaction data with proprietary indexes measured against holidays, weather and local events from KaizenDataLabs.

Krishna Arangode, Kaizen Analytix CEO, stated: "KaizenPrice for Entertainment Operators puts the power of data analytics in the hands of amusement and attraction providers, regardless of their size and operation. In addition to dramatically reducing the time it takes to set your ticket, concessions, and merchandise pricing, KaizenPrice stimulates guest demand, drives per caps, and supports a better overall guest experience."

Kaizen Analytix is showcasing this product at its IAAPA exhibit booth E7414 in the Exploration Station. 

Accountancy and finance businesses are prioritising employees with strong communication skillsets, as AI is used to enhance the technical and analytical skills of workers, according to the Reed Finance State of Skills research.

Using Google and O*NET data from the past 10 years for typical finance roles, Reed Finance developed the interactive online tool onhttps://stateofskills.reedglobal.com/. It found that written and verbal communication is prized by employers of finance professionals, with ‘oral comprehension’ (an understanding of what people are trying to say) and ‘written comprehension’ (understanding written ideas and information) ranked as the most valued skills. This is in comparison to traditionally assumed skills such as ‘economics and accounting’ and ‘deductive reasoning’ which are ranked as the fourth and 10^th most important.

Reed Finance suggests that this is due to the future strategies of companies wishing to see finance executives take on leadership roles which entail not only technical soundness, but also an ability to inspire and work as a leader of teams – with ‘active listening’ and ‘oral comprehension’ some of the most important skills for a CFO to have.

As such, ‘human’ skills are prominent in successful candidates for roles such as management accounting and FP&A management. This may suggest that these workers have the skillset to take upon more senior roles.

Securing the right talent

Reed Finance found that the level of interest from candidates for the majority of roles in accountancy and finance had been consistent over the past decade, but there are some notable exceptions. 

Interest in CFOs peaked in April 2013, higher by 111 per cent in comparison to January 2012. The trend is even starker for finance business partners. From only modest interest in October 2009 popularity has continued to increase rapidly over the decade hitting a peak in July 2018 that is almost 2500 per cent higher. The stark rise reflects a change in the industry towards finance professionals with strong communication skills informing and guiding the business.

Rob Russell, director at Reed Finance, says: “Businesses are in direct competition for employees that can bring ‘human’ skills to the table, not just technical accounting and number crunching. The influx of AI in the workplace is helping to enhance the numerical skillsets within these teams, so there will be greater time for high-level creativity. Companies want candidates that can communicate, secure business wins and manage teams so that they perform to the best of their ability. These changes to a more fluid, creative workplace are creating great opportunities for those within the finance sector.”

Software use is essential to success but becomes less important with greater seniority

The research conducted also investigated the tools that must be mastered for success in these roles, encouraging businesses to upgrade their software where necessary.

Rob Russell continues: “Every day working with businesses we find that tech is there to enhance the performance of individuals. While candidates should endeavour to keep up with the latest accounting tools on the market, businesses are increasingly looking for those that can win new business and demonstrate a return on investment.

“For candidates, developing the ability to take complex finance information they deal with on a daily basis and using it to answer the question, ‘what does this mean for the business?’ will set them aside from colleagues. This, coupled with commercial nous, has always been an advantage, but now it seems it is even more sought after as business leaders search for the candidates that can secure the future of their business.”

It’s shaping up to be one heck of a holiday shopping season. Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which provides insights into overall retail spending trends, is forecasting a banner year for online and in-store commerce across all payment types.

Total retail sales (excluding automotive) are expected to grow 5 percent and e-commerce at 20 percent over last year.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, you can expect overall U.S. retail sales (excluding automotive) to come in 50 percent higher than 10 years ago—and 19 percent higher than just five years ago.

Ecommerce sales this season should be especially strong, up 104 percent for the entire season compared to five years ago.

What can you expect as the holiday shopping season gets into full swing on Thanksgiving? Here’s a closer look at some of the forecast insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse.

Framework, a specialist global solutions vendor for Private Equity (PE) and Real Estate (RE) investments, has made a senior hire to its leadership team amid increasing demand for its enterprise investment accounting data management solutions. The role will strengthen the focus on innovation and delivering the best service to Framework’s customers.

Framework today announced the appointment of Renato Moreschi as Head of Market Solutions. Renato brings a formidable track record of 30 years of investment servicing experience working within leading financial institutions. In his last role, Renato was a Member of the Executive Committee of RBC Investment Services Bank and the Managing Director in charge of Client Operations and Client Management for Europe. Based in Luxembourg, Renato joined RBC in 2001 from BNP Paribas Luxembourg where he was Head of Fund Administration.

The appointment of Renato, who is based in Luxembourg, together with other key hires in recent months, underscores Framework’s ongoing commitment to meet the demand for improved investment data and service management in the PERE sector.

As the PERE sector is undergoing a period of growth and development, Framework’s client base is expanding and expecting more. The industry is experiencing higher investor allocations, higher investor expectations, leading Investment Managers and Asset Servicers are recognising that they need to scale their operations in response to the demands of alternative asset investors. Added to this, increasing regulation means that investors are demanding full visibility of their investment managers’ processes.

With 18 years’ expertise and experience in the sector, Framework’s solution is evolving to meet the investment data management needs of PERE Administrators and Custodians, their clients, and their investors. Framework makes PERE investment accounting, reporting and analytics accessible to all stakeholders.

Alan Naughton, Chief Executive Officer said: “We are delighted to welcome Renato to the team. Renato brings with him the enterprise and industry knowledge needed to help us grow the business and develop our solutions for the global PERE industry.”

Paul Whapham, Chief Operating Officer said: “We continue to invest in expertise and experience in the global PERE sector so that we align our product and service road map with the needs of our clients.”

Renato Moreschi, Head of Market Solutions said: “I am very pleased to join Framework, who’s commitment to delivering compelling solutions for PERE investment data management makes it an exciting firm to work with. My priority will be to help the firm achieve its ambitious growth strategy and in turn help our clients to scale their business.”

Pandle, the UK’s No1 cloud accountancy software company, has smashed the 20,000 users milestone just three years after its launch.

Created by accountant and tech entrepreneur, Lee Murphy, Pandle is a free online software package. It’s popularity stems from its simplicity: it is the perfect tool for beginners with limited accounting experience. The intuitive design provides a valuable support to small businesses and freelancers helping them to keep on top of their finances.

Lee developed Pandle after he retrained as an accountant when his first business, a building refurbishment company, failed partly through bookkeeping problems. His aim was to create a software package that was easy to use.

Lee Murphy said: “Small business owners were telling us that bookkeeping had become a daunting and time-consuming task, rife with mistakes brought about by overly complex accounting software.

“Our philosophy is that if it complicates the task of bookkeeping for the average small business, then we don’t include it in our software.”

He added: “Hitting the 20,000 user milestone shows that Pandle is working for our growing customer base.

“Our aim has always been to make Pandle the simplest piece of accounting software on the market – software that anyone can learn to use easily. So, we are always working on improving the software by adding new features and updates that work towards improved usability.

“There are always new challenges facing both small businesses and the accountancy sector. In 2019 we expect to be helping increasing numbers of businesses and firms as the rush to go digital speeds up ahead of Making Tax Digital (MTD) in 2020. Adopting cloud accounting now will smooth the transition to MTD.”

Such is the success of Pandle that the team is now working with accountancy firms to help them implement cloud-based systems.

In the last twelve months, 500 accountancy firms have signed up to use Pandle, underlining the success of the business. Lee says with the software now firmly established in the UK he now plans to expand the business internationally. The launch of an international version is planned for 2019.

As well as a free package, Pandle also offers Pandle Pro and now Brandle, which gives users access to a range of advanced features, including customisable software that allows companies to match the design to their brand. 

Plans for 2019 include international versions for entrepreneurs in developing countries, plus a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module.

New disruptive app offers a free, centralised feed of regulatory notices from global regulators for the financial services industry

• Configurable feed offering personalised regulatory notices across key regulators 
• A single centralised store of regulatory notices from global regulators, including regulator communications, regulatory change edicts and enforcements 
• Searchable and taxonomised content enabling a powerful search tool across the consolidated set of data 
• Alerting of relevant regulatory updates 
• Track and audit intelligence across teams for horizon scanning 

Corlytics, the world leader in calculating and analysing regulation as a risk, has announced an addition to its RiskFusion software. Today, Corlytics launches its RED app, which filters global, real-time, regulatory data. RED being short for Regulatory Event Data for free.

A world first

This is the first-time global regulatory updates and notices have been centrally collated via an app and made available for free, offering one of the most disruptive changes to the regulatory industry. 

This regulatory data is otherwise paid for via a subscription service, or by accessing a regulator’s website directly and manually searching for enforcement activity or policy changes. By giving compliance officers and financial institutions open access to the data, they can better plan their compliance programmes and save valuable time. 

RED capabilities

Corlytics’ RED app scans regulators in near real-time for all types of regulatory developments. These include regulatory notices, speeches, press releases, consultations, enforcements and penalties. Users can choose five global regulators to appear in their feed and receive push notifications or RED alerts on content related to those regulators. 

Corlytics, founded in 2013, provides relevant insight into the size, scope and root causes of regulatory risk. Using its regulatory taxonomy and advanced analytics, it extracts relevant intelligence to rate the risk of regulatory concerns. Corlytics works in partnership with banks, regulators and eminent financial institutions globally with an aim to restore trust and build transparency in the global finance system. 

Risk-weighted information

John Byrne, CEO at Corlytics, comments, “Corlytics sees the value in risk weighting the information by making it relevant and actionable. With the regulatory intelligence market said to be worth $10 billion, now seemed the perfect opportunity for Corlytics to offer open access of our data. Our RED app allows users to draw in the data that is relevant to them.”

He continues, “There is so much regulatory information out there that requires constant managing. Cryptocurrencies and disruptive developments mean that new regulation is always needed. This level of near real-time regulatory intelligence will be a hugely valuable tool for legal, risk and compliance officers who work within financial institutions or law firms.”

Global regulator support

Eileen Flaherty, managing director at The Global Capital Group, and former CFTC Director of the Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight in North America said: “I like the app very much. As it pulls from multiple regulators, it gives me quick and accurate updates all in one place. It is exactly what I want to know daily.” 

Peter Oakes who is director of FinTech Ireland as well as the ex-chief risk officer at Bank of America Merchant Services (licensing & establishment of business in EU) and formerly director (enforcement & anti-money laundering) at the Central Bank of Ireland has also tested the app. He said: "I was very impressed with Corlytics Red. I especially like the fact that I could download the regulatory source document quickly and easily, save it to my phone and share the file with colleagues without the need to be at my office computer. To have searched for this material by logging onto each regulator's website and then having to navigate each site for the relevant material would have taken hours, instead of a matter of minutes on Corlytics RED. Corlytics RED has won a place in my top five regulatory bookmarks!"

Integrating the app

The app is free to download and is available on the App Store, with an Android addition, There is also a desktop version enabling a more in-depth view to become an integral part of a compliance officer’s day. Sharing the data via email is enabled to alert other team members.