Press Release: Bigwin Group hosts “Sharpen Your Axe” on Innovation and Mobility in Fintech

PRESS RELEASE

The Bigwin Group Inc., hosted the 4th Session in the “Sharpen Your Axe™” Series on Innovation and Mobility in Fintech
Cracking the Code on Innovation to Attract and Retain Customers

TORONTO, Ontario – September 14, 2015 – Bigwin Group’s founder and CEO, Hart Hillman, moderated a thought provoking panel discussion on ‘Innovation and Mobility in FinTech’ at the MaRS Discovery District, on September 11th, 2015. Participants included over 50 executives from traditional financial institutions, disruptive and powerful technology companies, as well as venture capital firms. These individuals came together alongside a panel of top executives from Google Canada, PayPal, Tangerine Bank, TD Bank, and C.A.T.A. to explore the impact of innovation on technology.

A growing number of financial technology service companies, or as they have come to be known, “FinTech” companies, have entered the market, providing alternatives to consumers by tapping into innovation as an opportunity for growth. Surviving in today’s competitive market requires innovation – not only to respond effectively to present demands, but ultimately in anticipation of the unknown challenges of the future.

Businesses and individuals alike strive towards the innovation challenge, but very few truly stand out. Those that can “think outside the box” apply technological innovation to shape their industries in new and creative ways. Sabrina Geremia, Director of Integrated Solutions and Head of the Finance Group of Google Canada, said that the trend in innovation has moved exponentially more quickly in the past decade than it has in the preceding 100 years.

Rizwan Khalfan, Chief Digital Officer at TD Bank, brings a different approach to cracking the innovation code in the financial sector. In his view, the key to innovation is built on a strong foundation of talent and a winning culture. To that end, employees at TD Bank are given the support along with the freedom and flexibility to explore and create. Another panelist, Alexander Peh, Head of Market Development and Mobile at PayPal Canada, sees innovation as a platform for collaboration. “When you can bring together cross-functional teams around something like innovation as a cause, it really brings those creative juices out.” John Reid, CEO of CATA, contended that the use of external resources fosters innovation, and Ian Cunningham, COO of Tangerine Bank, suggested simply that consumer need provides the fuel – people want to bank when they want, where they want and how they want.

“Innovation is really about provocation,” says Hart Hillman. FinTech companies are reshaping the landscape of the financial industry as consumer demand has called for improvements in the accessibility and efficiency of financial services. In fact, “consumers have seen a surge in ‘FinTech’ developments, from mobile payments and money transfers to crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending sites,” said Hillman. The Bigwin Group is dedicated to sponsoring and promoting innovation and thought leadership through our “Sharpen Your Axe™” series.

ABOUT BIGWIN GROUP INC.

The Bigwin Group was created to “re-invent” talent management through creativity and innovation. We offer a wide range of valuable talent management tools to our clients and candidates, and always challenge the status quo. We are not limited to leadership recruitment, offering services that extend to corporate role definition, coaching, strategy, onboarding, and retention. We adhere to three fundamental drivers that underpin everything we do: Purpose, Principles and Promise. The Bigwin Group’s innovation and extraordinary creativity is changing the talent management landscape and positively impacting our clients’ businesses every day.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Laura Palandra
Consultant
Bigwin Group Talent Management
25 Adelaide St E, Suite 1910
Toronto, ON M5C 3A1
Office: 416-883-2444