The Financial Services Future: Transforming an industry

In partnership with the Economist Intelligence Unit, Mazars has developed a unique programme of thought leadership to examine the current challenges the Financial Services industry is facing. The series of articles focuses on the current transformation of the financial services industry and its likely shape in the future from three different but related perspectives: technological, regulatory and business model transformation.

The proposed programme consists in a series of articles tailor-made for a senior finance executive audience and relevant across the financial service industry. These articles explores the links between technological disruption in the financial services area including its impact on the regulatory environment, and the financial services response. We are also looking at how regulatory changes have forced financial services firms to adapt or even create new operational models that incorporate new technologies to meet regulatory requirements and the further impact this has on the firms’ value chains.

Please visit the dedicated microsite on www.eiuperspectives.economist.com

Topic #1: Technological Transformation

The marriage of high tech and high finance

The lines between financial services and high technology are becoming increasingly blurred. Four major technological changes will disrupt financial services in the years ahead. Fear of disruption?

Biometrics
Blockchain
Cognitive computing
Open banking

Topic #2 : Regulatory Transformation

Regulatory reform in uncertain times – No rest for the weary

Despite “reform fatigue” and squeezed profit margins, financial services firms are dealing with a continued flood of regulation. Some are turning to new technologies for compliance help.

A decade on from the global financial crisis, are policymakers and regulators starting to tire of imposing a seemingly endless drip-feed of new rules on financial services firms?

Topic #3 : Business model Transformation

Embracing a pattern of change - Business model innovation across banking, insurance and asset management

New models of financial intermediation appear to emerge, with the potential to trigger a break-up or unbundling of financial services as customers know them today.

Alongside new players will be new business models. In the first two articles in this series, we focused on how technology change and regulatory change are reshaping financial services. In this article, we focus on how new business models are emerging.