Jersey’s first Fintech conference achieves global reach

Posted: 23/10/2015

International speakers urge island to embrace digital opportunities. Jersey’s first major Fintech conference was a resounding success with inte...

International speakers urge island to embrace digital opportunities.

Jersey’s first major Fintech conference was a resounding success with international speakers urging the island to seize the digital opportunities and persuade finance companies to embrace fintech or fail to survive. 

The conference saw nearly 250 delegates hear from digital entrepreneurs and experts with well over one million tweet views across the globe for the #fintechjsy15 tag alone. Tweets about the conference came from as far afield as India, China and Brazil. 
The conference was opened by The Assistant Chief Minister with special responsibility for Financial services and the digital sector, Senator Philip Ozouf.  
The Senator announced a major new virtual currency regulatory policy which he said is aimed at providing a business friendly environment for virtual currency businesses, while at the same time creating confidence. 'Our regulator, industry and government are all working together to identify and encourage fintech opportunities in an environment that promotes innovation while safeguarding against possible threats. We have made a clear commitment to establishing Jersey as a world leader in fintech and my aim is to ensure that this happens.' 

Simon Devonshire, a serial entrepreneur, told delegates that the digital revolution is more important than the industrial revolution, citing the pace of change and opportunities for exponential growth.  He told delegates Jersey is one of the most networked places he’s ever been to, 'Jersey should leverage its hidden assets. Jersey owns its roads, airspace, hospitals and schools, and the pace at which it chooses to innovate these assets. Perhaps Jersey doesn’t realise that it also owns ‘choice’ – you are able to choose what to focus all your resources and energy on to positively affect the success of local business most.' Other international speakers included Steve Perry, the founder of Visa Europe Collab, a new initiative to identify and commercialise the most promising new innovations in fintech. Dave Birch, Director of Innovation at Consult Hyperion, and an international though leader in digital identity and money, also addressed delegates.  

Digital Jersey organised the Fintech conference and Business Development Director, Andy Jarrett said it achieved its aim, 'We wanted to bring digital and finance together to realise the potential and to bring some of the brightest innovators in this sector to share a stage with local Jersey entrepreneurs. It was fantastic to see the buzz among delegates and I know it’s already forged relationships and spurred ideas which we are looking forward to helping support at Digital Jersey.' 
The event saw over twenty speakers, including an Innovation panel with Digital Jersey CEO, Tony Moretta, Jersey Finance CEO, Geoff Cook and Jersey Financial Services Commission, Director General, John Harris. 

Leanne Kemp, the CEO of Everledger flew in from Holland for the event and KPMG’s Director, Cyber in Financial Services, Ruth Anderson came from London to speak in the morning. Local business leaders took to the stage in the afternoon including, Danny Bannister, CEO Total Solutions Group and Mark Loane, CEO of C5 Alliance. 

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