Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
Finance and banking sessions forAfricaONEShawbrook BankStandard Chartered BankThe Institute of Internal AuditorsWolters KluwerCrown Prince Court
Featured inBloombergThe Wall Street JournalThe Telegraph
Manilla and the UAE Financial Markets Association, together with ACI and ICA, invited Matthew to give the keynote at their annual world congress at La Perle theatre in Dubai's business district. Finance leaders, ministers and professionals from across the Middle East gathered to discuss the future of financial services and the latest developments in impact investing and emerging technologies.
He began with a decade of change in global financial services: the rise of fintechs and decentralised finance, new cloud and digital business and operating models, the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence and the rapid automation of core banking systems. On top of those sit CBDCs, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, tokenisation and the emerging metaverse "meta-economy".
"Financiers will play an important role in the years and decades ahead in helping the world overcome and solve some of its greatest challenges, such as climate change, energy poverty, hunger and water scarcity."Matthew Griffin, Dubai, March 2022
Matthew explored the impact of each on the industry's culture, hiring practices and changing role. He then turned to the part financiers will play in the years and decades ahead in helping the world overcome some of its greatest challenges, including climate change, energy poverty, hunger, inequality, poverty and water scarcity.
The audience left with a sense of empowerment and hope. Many said they had not known some of the solutions existed, or how "easy" and elegant they were: a timely message as the Middle East prepared to host COP 27 and COP 28, the latter in Dubai.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Layered change reshapes the sector.
The session described fintechs, decentralised finance, cloud models, AI and automated core banking as one decade of change. CBDCs, tokenisation and the meta-economy add further layers. Decentralised finance is rebuilding lending and trading as code, and regulators are moving in.
Culture and hiring must follow.
Matthew explored how each shift affects the industry's culture, hiring practices and changing role. A leadership team should treat people planning as part of technology planning. Digital services and platform work keep growing as metaverse hype fades, so the skills mix will keep moving.
Finance can fund the fixes.
Financiers can help with climate change, energy poverty, hunger and water scarcity. Demand for fresh water is on course to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030. Many in the room had not known some solutions existed, which shows a gap between available answers and awareness of them.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our products or portfolios touch climate or water risk today?
Do our hiring plans match the technology layers now entering finance?
Who in our firm owns the link between capital and global challenges?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
What does this session mean for organisations in financial services?
It means technology change and global challenges now reach the same boardroom. Leaders need a view on new models, on culture and hiring, and on how capital can support solutions to problems such as climate change, energy poverty and water scarcity.
How does climate change relate to the role of finance?
Warming is nearing the 1.5C limit and climate damage is weakening the natural sinks that absorb carbon. The session placed climate change first among the challenges where financiers can help, so it is a matter for lending, investment and risk teams.
How does decentralised finance relate to this keynote?
Decentralised finance was one of the shifts Matthew named in a decade of change. It is rebuilding lending and trading as code, and regulators are moving in, so firms should track both the technology and the rules around it.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Hundreds of megatrends are shaping your world.
The codex maps the hundreds of megatrends and microtrends shaping the world, the same forces Matthew showed are transforming financial services and the challenges financiers can help solve.
