Read the Keynotes of All Speakers
Roger Allen, MD, US Capital Bank
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Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for attending today.
I’m Roger Allen, UK Managing Director at US Capital Global, a private financial institution, specialising in growth equity and alternative fixed income. I focus on connecting investors and financial allocators to expert fund managers and entrepreneurs with a compelling edge.
My extensive and frequent travel during my 40 years in financial markets has ensured I am highly networked globally. I have notable experience in a wide range of investment sectors, including FinTech, AI, real estate, medical, blockchain, alternatives, quant, with a strong appreciation of ESG and impact investing.
I’m delighted to be back in the House of Lords with an audience comprising some of today’s key thought leaders.
I’ll start with a quote pertinent to today’s topic.
“Road traffic crashes now represent the eighth leading cause of death globally. They claim more than 1.35 million lives each year and cause up to 50 million injuries. And, the fact is, every one of those deaths and injuries is preventable.” Michael Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries
Put another way, every 24 seconds someone is killed on a road.
Let that sink in.
We need a positive mental attitude towards developing the New Mobility Landscape.
All around us, the pace of development and adoption of new technologies is accelerating.
The internet and smart phones are amongst the more obvious examples most people will resonate with. Much faster adoption times than landline telephones and clothes washing machines.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are already making huge impacts across many industries.
Back in 2019, an automobile industry trade consultant said “Today, a typical automotive design cycle is approximately 24 to 36 months, which is much faster than the 60-month life cycle from five years ago.”
As impressive as this sounds, and as much as we think of modern cars as computers on wheels, not much has fundamentally changed. Cars still require a fallible human driver, and the passenger experience is almost unchanged. Granted, accident protection has improved remarkably.
Mass adoption of autonomous vehicles would prevent accidents. Prevention is better than cure, as the Dutch Philosopher Erasmus told us back in 1500.
In nature, a murmuration of starlings, and other flocks of birds, avoid collisions completely, albeit they have the double-edged sword of the added dimension of altitude. Shakespeare mentioned starlings in Henry IV, Part 1, written in the late 1500s. With the first cars not hitting the road until the late 19th century, clearly collision avoidance by birds has a much longer and cleaner history than the appalling accident-prone human car drivers!
Elon Musk has been a leader in the development of autonomous vehicles, with mixed results, however, this is the direction of travel. Other major vehicle manufacturers are also allocating R&D budgets to this space.
Smart cities, where everything is interconnected around the home and transportation may seem like a futuristic dream. The reality is that full scale beta smart cities have already been built in China, with a pool of autonomous vehicles efficiently moving people and goods around the city with zero road deaths.
Autonomous vehicles achieve this by continuously detecting, monitoring, and predicting the movements of other vehicles around them, automatically taking action to avoid collisions.
Autonomous vehicles, especially when combined with smart cities, come with very positive ESG, clean energy, and impact outcomes including far fewer deaths and non-fatal injuries.
Which long term, visionary investors will accelerate the development and adoption of the New Mobility Landscape?
Corporate Strategic, Insurance, Pension, Government, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Endowments, Foundations, Family Offices, HNWIs, in short, any long-term investor who cares about ESG, impact, clean energy, and saving lives.
Autonomous mobility and transportation will improve lives, save lives, and help save the planet.
Dimitrios Kokosioulis, Deputy CEO
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Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I would like to thank the organizers for making it possible to come together today and for providing me the opportunity to speak on the changing landscape of relations between Doha and London, especially in banking and technology. It's my real privilege to be with you this morning, and I am excited to share these insights with you in the hope of sparking meaningful debates.
Let's begin with contemplating the overall economic scenario in Qatar. Over the last few years, the economy of Qatar has been one of the most resilient and quickly growing economies. Now, with its vast natural gas reserves, it has become a global leader for developing a diversified economy that is equally balanced between energy, finance, and technology. The strategic investments of the country in such infrastructure, education, and health have placed Qatar at a level wherein it is not only a leading hub of innovation and business but also a step ahead in the quality of life of its citizens.
The growth and diversification that have already taken place offer strong underpinning forces of economic stability for Qatar, even in turbulent times of the world. The FIFA World Cup 2022 is a clear example of such resilience and ambitions, because it not only proved Qatar's capability in delivering large projects but also demonstrated readiness for the country to become a global player in various domains.
Under this strong economic umbrella, the banking sector in Qatar serves as the mainstay of stability and growth. The performance of the sector continues to be solid: total assets have surpassed $550 billion, and the industry average return on equity remains at approximately 15%. Such profitability is achieved through good management, regulatory foresight, and most importantly, being keenly interested in long-term sustainability.
The Qatari banking industry means more than figures; it stands for trust, reliability, and further progress. It has been evolving with the change in needs of an ever-dynamic population, offering innovative financial solutions while at the same time maintaining a keen focus on risk management and compliance. This fine balance between innovation and stability has allowed Qatar's banks to not only survive but indeed thrive when the going gets tough.
Now let's understand how technology is creating the future for Qatar's banking sector. Technology is not an enabler in the digital era of today; it is a driver of any transformation. Banks in Qatar have taken a pioneering role in the application of new technologies, recognizing that digital innovation lies at the heart of competitiveness and meeting ever-evolving customer needs.
The regulators, among them the Qatar Central Bank and the Qatar Financial Center Regulatory Authority, are all supportive of a forward-looking approach to the adoption of technology. Initiatives such as the Central Bank Digital Currency project underline the commitment Qatar has put in place with regard to embracing the future of finance. The ecosystem for FinTech in Qatar is already established and is picking up momentum. You can see fast movements now in matters of digital payments, blockchain, and AI-driven solutions.
Artificial intelligence has been revolutionizing banking, and over the last few years, technologies including natural language processing, machine learning, and generative AI have transformed banks' operations. These methods allow banks to improve fraud detection, optimize credit underwriting, and enhance customer services, among other things. In Qatar, adoption of AI is seen as strategic. The use of AI by banks is gradually moving to deliver customer-centric services, personalization, and automation of routine tasks with data-driven decisions that streamline efficiency and drive customer satisfaction. AI has not only become a tool but also an embedded part of bank strategic direction to help it innovate and grow amidst harshly competitive environments.
We, at Doha Bank, have fully embraced this technological revolution. Knowing that it's a digital-first approach, our strategy had to place technology right at the center. Over the past two years that I have been with Doha Bank, we have expedited our journey in three large dimensions: projects that strengthen our core systems, enriching the customer experience, and driving operational efficiency. Ours is an all-embracing approach. We are transforming our mobile and internet banking platforms to provide a seamless, user-friendly experience across all customer segments. We are also digitizing and automating back-office processes to enhance speed and accuracy. This is with the understanding that innovation is key, with work on an internal Open Banking Framework already started, even in the absence of regional mandates. This is all part of our broader strategy to stay ahead of the curve and deliver value to our customers.
When it comes to AI, Doha Bank is taking a measured yet ambitious approach. We understand that successful AI adoption begins with strong data governance. That’s why we’ve launched an enterprise-wide data transformation program, focusing on governance, strategy, and infrastructure. This foundation will enable us to infuse AI into our operations effectively, driving innovation while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.
Talent management is another critical component of our AI strategy. We are investing in hiring, reskilling, and upskilling our workforce to ensure we have the right expertise to maximize the impact of AI on our business. This holistic approach will enable us to leverage AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic asset that drives long-term value.
As we look to the future, Doha Bank’s vision is clear: we are on a transformational journey that aims to enhance client experience, improve financial performance, and strengthen our brand. We have set 2025 as a key milestone to assess our progress and ensure we are on track to achieve our objectives. With the support of our board and leadership, I am confident that we will succeed in our mission.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Doha Bank’s strong commitment to the UK market. Our Representative office in London is a testament to the deep relationships we have built and our shared vision for the future. Thank you for your attention, and I hope you found these insights into Doha Bank’s journey both informative and inspiring.
Matt Armstrong-Barnes, CTO, HPE
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Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I would like to thank the organizers for making it possible to come together today and for providing me the opportunity to speak on the changing landscape of relations between Doha and London, especially in banking and technology. It's my real privilege to be with you this morning, and I am excited to share these insights with you in the hope of sparking meaningful debates.
Let's begin with contemplating the overall economic scenario in Qatar. Over the last few years, the economy of Qatar has been one of the most resilient and quickly growing economies. Now, with its vast natural gas reserves, it has become a global leader for developing a diversified economy that is equally balanced between energy, finance, and technology. The strategic investments of the country in such infrastructure, education, and health have placed Qatar at a level wherein it is not only a leading hub of innovation and business but also a step ahead in the quality of life of its citizens.
The growth and diversification that have already taken place offer strong underpinning forces of economic stability for Qatar, even in turbulent times of the world. The FIFA World Cup 2022 is a clear example of such resilience and ambitions, because it not only proved Qatar's capability in delivering large projects but also demonstrated readiness for the country to become a global player in various domains.
Under this strong economic umbrella, the banking sector in Qatar serves as the mainstay of stability and growth. The performance of the sector continues to be solid: total assets have surpassed $550 billion, and the industry average return on equity remains at approximately 15%. Such profitability is achieved through good management, regulatory foresight, and most importantly, being keenly interested in long-term sustainability.
The Qatari banking industry means more than figures; it stands for trust, reliability, and further progress. It has been evolving with the change in needs of an ever-dynamic population, offering innovative financial solutions while at the same time maintaining a keen focus on risk management and compliance. This fine balance between innovation and stability has allowed Qatar's banks to not only survive but indeed thrive when the going gets tough.
Now let's understand how technology is creating the future for Qatar's banking sector. Technology is not an enabler in the digital era of today; it is a driver of any transformation. Banks in Qatar have taken a pioneering role in the application of new technologies, recognizing that digital innovation lies at the heart of competitiveness and meeting ever-evolving customer needs.
The regulators, among them the Qatar Central Bank and the Qatar Financial Center Regulatory Authority, are all supportive of a forward-looking approach to the adoption of technology. Initiatives such as the Central Bank Digital Currency project underline the commitment Qatar has put in place with regard to embracing the future of finance. The ecosystem for FinTech in Qatar is already established and is picking up momentum. You can see fast movements now in matters of digital payments, blockchain, and AI-driven solutions.
Artificial intelligence has been revolutionizing banking, and over the last few years, technologies including natural language processing, machine learning, and generative AI have transformed banks' operations. These methods allow banks to improve fraud detection, optimize credit underwriting, and enhance customer services, among other things. In Qatar, adoption of AI is seen as strategic. The use of AI by banks is gradually moving to deliver customer-centric services, personalization, and automation of routine tasks with data-driven decisions that streamline efficiency and drive customer satisfaction. AI has not only become a tool but also an embedded part of bank strategic direction to help it innovate and grow amidst harshly competitive environments.
We, at Doha Bank, have fully embraced this technological revolution. Knowing that it's a digital-first approach, our strategy had to place technology right at the center. Over the past two years that I have been with Doha Bank, we have expedited our journey in three large dimensions: projects that strengthen our core systems, enriching the customer experience, and driving operational efficiency. Ours is an all-embracing approach. We are transforming our mobile and internet banking platforms to provide a seamless, user-friendly experience across all customer segments. We are also digitizing and automating back-office processes to enhance speed and accuracy. This is with the understanding that innovation is key, with work on an internal Open Banking Framework already started, even in the absence of regional mandates. This is all part of our broader strategy to stay ahead of the curve and deliver value to our customers.
When it comes to AI, Doha Bank is taking a measured yet ambitious approach. We understand that successful AI adoption begins with strong data governance. That’s why we’ve launched an enterprise-wide data transformation program, focusing on governance, strategy, and infrastructure. This foundation will enable us to infuse AI into our operations effectively, driving innovation while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.
Talent management is another critical component of our AI strategy. We are investing in hiring, reskilling, and upskilling our workforce to ensure we have the right expertise to maximize the impact of AI on our business. This holistic approach will enable us to leverage AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic asset that drives long-term value.
As we look to the future, Doha Bank’s vision is clear: we are on a transformational journey that aims to enhance client experience, improve financial performance, and strengthen our brand. We have set 2025 as a key milestone to assess our progress and ensure we are on track to achieve our objectives. With the support of our board and leadership, I am confident that we will succeed in our mission.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Doha Bank’s strong commitment to the UK market. Our Representative office in London is a testament to the deep relationships we have built and our shared vision for the future. Thank you for your attention, and I hope you found these insights into Doha Bank’s journey both informative and inspiring.