OVERVIEW

The heady world of finance has been turned on its head in the decade since the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2007–8. Lehman Brothers, a leading investment bank, collapsed, its rival Bear Stearns was sold, and many others were so close to bankruptcy that only controversially generous bailout packages could save them. As familiar names from the banking world struggled, China stepped into the limelight, becoming the world’s biggest source of capital. Today four of the world’s top five banks are Chinese. Tech giants such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook have become the most valuable companies and attract the best talent. Why suit up for Goldman Sachs when you could wear flip-flops and t-shirts at Facebook? Financial technology (fintech) companies, from Ant Financial in China to Square in the United States, have broken into the consumer-banking space like a wrecking ball.

What will the next ten years have in store for Asia’s financial institutions? How has the shape of the financial-services sector changed in the last decade? Can regulators and traditional companies keep pace with the evolution? How will new technologies, from artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchains, alter the financial ecosystem further? And in the shadow of the GFC’s ten-year anniversary, what have the big banks learned that could help them avoid future catastrophes?

Finance Disrupted 2018 will convene regulators, banking leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and economists to discuss the future of banking in Asia and whether the sector is prepared to identify and prevent future crises.

WHY ATTEND

The Economist Events offers a truly global perspective on a country’s place in the world and its future outlook. With the newspaper’s characteristic clarity and wit, these summits offer fresh and challenging perspectives.

NB. We have VIP invitation tickets for Founder/ C-suites executives of Fintech start up, email us (diane@whub.io) if you want to get the dedicated registration link.