Bravura: Celebrating Success in Brand Management and Diversity in Finance Awards

Bravura and Delta Financial System’s pensions dashboards project team have yet another reason to celebrate! They received the prestigious Best Product/Service award at Citywealth’s Brand Management & Reputation Awards 2023. The award recognises their exceptional ISP solution, Dashboards Connect, and the impactful Pensions Dashboards Week, which garnered significant industry attention and participation.

The joint initiative brought together over 1,500 industry professionals, offering enlightening webinars, myth-busting sessions, and Q&As. It showcased the potential of dashboards and the significance of cutting-edge technology in transforming the pensions sector. Chris Spencer, Bravura’s EMEA Managing Director, expressed pride in their innovative microservice technology, highlighting its security and scalability.

Jonathan Hawkins, the leader of Bravura’s pensions dashboards project team and Pension Age’s Pensions Personality of the Year 2023, commended the industry recognition. The initiative served as a catalyst for progress in uncertain times, and with recent clarifications from the Pension Dashboards Programme, they look forward to future advancements and benefits for the industry and savers.

In addition to their groundbreaking ISP, Bravura received accolades at FT Adviser’s Diversity in Finance Awards 2023. The company was named Large Employer of the Year for its commendable Diversity & Inclusiveness (D&I) program. Launched in 2020, the D&I program promotes awareness and fosters a supportive environment through various initiatives and events.

Nigel Liddell, General Counsel and Founder of Bravura’s D&I program, expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasising the importance of diversity and inclusivity in attracting top talent and cultivating a caring workplace. Bravura’s D&I program covers six key pillars, each with dedicated leaders working to drive engagement and awareness globally.

The awards serve as a testament to Bravura’s commitment to excellence in brand management, diversity, and inclusion. As they continue their journey towards becoming a more diverse and inclusive employer, they look forward to making an even greater impact in the financial services sector.

Bravura’s success extends beyond these awards, with their affiliates, Delta Financial Systems, and FinoComp, securing gold at Goodacre’s Systems in the City Awards 2023 for Best Pensions Administration Technology and Best Performance Measurement System, respectively.

With these remarkable achievements, Bravura reaffirms its position as a trailblazer in the financial industry, delivering cutting-edge solutions and fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Encompass boosts expertise around pKYC

Encompass Corporation has released a new whitepaper that offers unique insights and expertise to assist banks in their journey towards implementing perpetual KYC (pKYC) operating models, thus accelerating their digital transformation.

pKYC represents a strategic imperative for organisations seeking to maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving financial landscape. By leveraging automation, pKYC enables banks to enhance risk detection accuracy, operational efficiency, and customer experience.

Recognising the significance of executive-level support in the pursuit of pKYC, the whitepaper titled “Securing Executive Sponsorship for pKYC Transformation” addresses key challenges and provides best practices for engaging stakeholders. This guidance is crucial for banks seeking to revolutionise their processes through technology adoption.

Expanding upon Encompass’ groundbreaking pKYC maturity model introduced earlier this year, the whitepaper also presents additional insights on maximising the benefits of digital transformation, irrespective of whether pKYC is the ultimate goal. It explores how banks can effectively articulate the advantages of leveraging advanced technology solutions, encompassing risk mitigation and cost reduction, while ensuring proper stakeholder alignment to drive successful outcomes.

Authored by Encompass’ KYC Transformation Director, Howard Wimpory, and Dr. Henry Balani, the Global Head of Industry and Regulatory Affairs, the paper emphasises the value of digital KYC profiles. These profiles utilise real-time data and document analysis through KYC process automation, enabling informed KYC decision-making and yielding positive impacts such as enhanced risk management, accuracy, and scalability.

Howard Wimpory, KYC Transformation Director at Encompass Corporation, emphasised the need for banks to optimise operational efficiency in today’s competitive market. He stated that traditional manual processes are no longer sufficient and emphasised the imperative of implementing technology-driven solutions like pKYC for long-term success.

Dr. Henry Balani, Global Head of Industry and Regulatory Affairs at Encompass Corporation, stressed the importance of prioritising compliance and enhancing processes using technology-led solutions in response to evolving regulatory landscapes and the persistent threat of financial crime. Balani explained that manual KYC processes are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and struggle to keep up with regulatory changes, thereby increasing risks for institutions. He also highlighted the expectations of regulators, who encourage banks to adopt available technologies and integrate them into their operations.

Encompass’ whitepaper aims to elevate the pKYC discourse in the industry by sharing the perspectives and experiences of its pKYC Advisory Board. Chaired by Dr. Henry Balani, the board includes representatives from leading global banks as well as trusted partners specialising in data, technology, and consulting services. This collaborative effort supports Encompass’ goal of promoting meaningful dialogue and driving effective solutions to address the critical global issue of financial crime.

By presenting real-world insights and leveraging expert knowledge, Encompass aims to empower banks to embark confidently on transformative digital projects, be it towards pKYC or other strategic objectives, with the expectation of reaping immediate and long-term rewards.

Read the white paper here

Smardaten Technologies Secures Technology Pioneer Title from World Economic Forum

Scotland-based Smardaten Technologies, a cutting-edge provider of big data and no-code software technology and services was one of the select few “Technology Pioneers” recognised by the World Economic Forum.

In its quest to identify the most promising Technology Pioneers worldwide, the World Economic Forum has unveiled a list featuring 100 companies actively addressing critical issues such as revolutionary technologies, sustainability, climate change, and healthcare. Among the winners is Smardaten Technologies, leading the charge with its fourth-generation big data-powered NoCode platform.

Established by a team of data technology experts from prominent conglomerates in China, Smardaten Technologies introduces a groundbreaking no-code technology, fuelled by intelligent data, that expedites traditional software development timelines from 1-2 years to an impressive 3-6 weeks. Furthermore, the company plays a pivotal role in carbon reduction by significantly decreasing the hours of computer resource consumption.

The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers represent early-stage companies spearheading novel technologies and innovations poised to make a substantial impact on both business and society. Verena Kuhn, the Head of Innovator Communities at the World Economic Forum, enthusiastically welcomed Smardaten and fellow pioneers, acknowledging their instrumental role in driving innovation and disruptive solutions to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. Their contributions to the Forum’s collaborative efforts, uniting public and private sectors, are eagerly anticipated.

Dr. Yadong (Adam) Cao, co-founder and COO of Smardaten, as a distinguished Technology Pioneer, has been invited to actively engage with the World Economic Forum. Collaborating with global leaders, Dr. Cao will help address key industry and societal issues. Additionally, Technology Pioneers will receive exclusive invitations to participate in Forum events and discussions throughout the year, fostering meaningful exchanges among influential stakeholders from the public and private sectors.