Technology is a huge enabler for the financial inclusion industry, and none of what has been achieved in the last ten years would have been possible without it. It has the potential to bring financial inclusion to most, if not all, of the currently underserved.   

However, there are significant challenges that new technologies pose to providers. Those who fail to keep pace with advances will lag behind their competitors and eventually become sidelined. Breaking down the barriers to new technologies, reducing operational costs and complexities and gaining customer trust will enable providers to deliver a full suite of products and services aligned to market needs, which will generate growth for their business, increase adoption and improve inclusion. The future of financial inclusion is in the provision of a full digital-first financial eco-system, offering individual and business customers the opportunity to choose from a broad range of providers, price points and products. 

Join Mambu's Eugene Danikis and Constanze Lehmann, together with OakNorth Bank's Francesca Gandolfo and Grameen America's Marcus Berkowitz to discuss how to challenge old ways of delivering financial services, tackle institutional barriers and set the stage for a inclusive digital first financial ecosystem. 

About the speakers:

Eugene Danilkis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mambu, the core engine powering digital first banking and lending. He put his degree in Computer Science to use at the start of his career, working as a software engineer on control software for the international space station.  He built on the technical expertise he gained with a business, design and psychology degree in human-computer interactions. Inspired by his work for core banking software providers and lending institutions servicing in hard to reach markets, he co-founded Mambu in 2011. Mambu brings the business models and technology benefits of SaaS to financial services.  

Constanze Lehmann is a Financial Inclusion Specialist at Mambu. She enables industry participants to grow and strengthen their client portfolios by connecting them with the technology and partners they need to succeed. Before joining Mambu, she worked as a Project Manager at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, being  responsible for technically and financially coordinating various international advisory projects on micro and SME finance. Prior to this she worked in various development agencies, such as KfW Development and GIZ. 

Francesca Gandolfo is the Chief Operations Officer for OakNorth Bank where she has led the development of the bank’s technology infrastructure, including its landmark move to the cloud earlier this year. Prior to joining OakNorth, she led Citi’s Account Services Operations team for corporate clients, was Head of Strategy for Barclays’ retail and commercial bank globally, and was the Chief of Staff and member of Barclaycard ExCo. She also spent eight years at McKinsey where she led client teams throughout Europe in large-scale Turnaround and Change Management programs, developing growth strategies across sectors and driving entrepreneurial initiatives.

Marcus Berkowitz is the Senior Director, Technology & Innovation at Grameen America, where he focuses on implementing national technology solutions for core banking, payments, and back-office functions, with the goal of increasing efficiency and supporting Grameen’s nearly 50,000 low-income women entrepreneurs more effectively as they grow their businesses. Before joining Grameen America, he served as a Kiva Fellow in Ecuador, where his focus was on streamlining and improving the flow of client data between Kiva and its intermediary. His background is in economic development in the western hemisphere, and focuses on cross-cultural collaboration.