Global fintech expert joins Digital Jersey

Posted: 10/08/2016

Digital Jersey has appointed a new Special Advisor to support its work developing a fintech industry for Jersey. Named one of the ‘Fintech Titans’...

Digital Jersey has appointed a new Special Advisor to support its work developing a fintech industry for Jersey. Named one of the ‘Fintech Titans’ by NextBank, David Birch (Dave) is a Director of Consult Hyperion, the technical and strategic consultancy that specialises in electronic transactions.

 

He provides consultancy support to clients around the world, including all of the leading payment brands, major telecommunications providers, government bodies and international organisations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Described at the Oxford Internet Institute as “one of Britain’s most acute observers of the internet and social networks”, in The Telegraph as “one of the world’s leading experts on digital money”, in The Independent as a "grade-A geek" and by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation as "one of the most user-friendly of the UK's uber-techies", Dave is well-known for his thought leadership blogging, podcasts and events for Consult Hyperion’s Tomorrow’s Transactions series.

Dave has lectured extensively on the impact of new information and communications technologies and contributed to publications ranging from the Parliamentary IT Review to Prospect. He wrote a Guardian column for many years and is a media commentator on electronic business issues, appearing on BBC television and radio, Sky and other channels around the world. Retail Systems magazine said that his recent book, Identity is the New Money, is bold, forward thinking [and] grapples with weighty issues in a concise and accessible way. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey Business School, supporting their work on shared ledger technologies in a business context. 

Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey, commented:  “I’m delighted that Dave has agreed to support our work.  He has already spoken as four different events in Jersey over the year and has gained the respect from both the financial and digital industries here.  Dave is exceptionally well respected in his field and has unique insights that I believe will enable us to develop a clear USP for Jersey in the fintech and regtech space. He also brings with him a wealth of contacts that will be of benefit to us in terms of putting Jersey on the map.”

Dave Birch added: “I’m extremely flattered to have been invited to work with Digital Jersey. I believe there is a huge opportunity for the island to become a launchpad for new digital, financial services. In particular, the opportunity to work with a regulator of the calibre of the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) is exciting and actually quite unusual – this is a real strength that Jersey has. The JFSC has already shown itself to be positively farsighted with its work on Bitcoin, and at a time when people all over the world are looking at ways to use Blockchain for KYC and AML work, this is something that Jersey could take a lead in. Jersey has a chance to create new services, but also to improve existing ones.  Reducing the burden on regulation, while improving the quality of it through technology, would not only improve the profitability of existing financial services, but also enable a more innovative culture. We could be using the skills and financial brainpower that the Island has absorbed in compliance to create new services and new markets. I’m looking forward to working with Digital Jersey to make a tangible and positive impact for the Island’s digital and financial services industries.”

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