What does your role as Lead Product Manager for Open Banking involve?
I manage our Open Banking platform, which serves two main objectives. First, helping banks comply with regulations such as PSD2 in Europe by exposing the necessary APIs (AIS, PIS, CIS), managing TPP verification, and orchestrating customer consent. Second, enabling banks to harness Open Banking to create value, such as through account aggregation, data analysis for credit purposes, or fraud reduction.
We recently revamped the platform to cover the U.S. market and integrate the latest advancements from Axway. Now, we are accelerating the transition to Open Finance by developing Banking-as-a-Service and Platform Banking solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance.
Can you tell us about a project you’re particularly proud of?
One of my biggest achievements is successfully implementing and rebuilding our Open Banking offering for the U.S. in just six months. This challenge was met through effective collaboration between the Axway and SBS teams, with an agile approach and a strong focus on results.
What makes this journey even more exciting is the dedication of both teams. This collective momentum allows us to move quickly and achieve our goals successfully.
How would you explain Open Banking to someone unfamiliar with it?
Imagine your bank account is like a locked locker in a gym. Right now, only your bank has the key. If you want to use an app to manage your budget, save automatically, or make alternative payments, you have to ask your bank to open the locker each time.
Open Banking is like lending a temporary key to trusted services. No more back-and-forth: these services can help you directly, securely, and with your consent.
Want to save money effortlessly? An app can analyze your income and expenses to set money aside automatically. Need a loan? Instead of filling out piles of paperwork, your bank can check your banking history and offer you a faster deal. Want to pay online without a credit card? You can send a payment directly from your account without an intermediary.
And most importantly, you stay in control. You decide which data to share, with whom, and for how long. Open Banking means more freedom, simplicity, and financial solutions tailored to your needs!
How do you see the future of Open Banking in the coming years?
I believe banks are beginning to realize the massive impact of Open Banking and the benefits it brings for both themselves and their customers.
For banks, it automates manual processes, reduces fraud, limits unnecessary data exchanges, and allows them to focus on core activities. For customers, it provides access to hyper-personalized products, offered either by the bank or its partners.
That’s why I see Open Banking as the bridge between these two worlds: a secure, transparent connection that respects customer consent and data protection while delivering truly tailored products and services.
What role would you like to play in this evolution?
I want to openly engage with banks, helping them understand that, beyond mere compliance or budget management, equipping themselves properly allows them to fully benefit from the Open Banking ecosystem.
Banks have the opportunity to strengthen their role as a trusted entity for their customers, including younger generations, by offering innovative services tailored to their needs.
If you could change one thing in the industry today, what would it be?
Regulations and innovation move at different speeds. Regulators, like the European Union, take years to approve and implement new directives, while technology evolves exponentially. This gap risks making some regulations obsolete before they are even enforced.
Meanwhile, neobanks are transforming the banking landscape at an impressive pace. Once limited to savings accounts and simplified payments, they now offer instant loans, robo-advisors, and a range of innovative services. Unlike traditional banks, they capture customer attention with regular innovations.
Major banks must act before being left behind. Neobanks are no longer small players: with millions of users and massive valuations, they are redefining the standards of speed, simplicity, and personalization, perfectly aligned with the expectations of digital generations.
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