October 30th 2019

• BIIA Annual General Meeting [Full Members only]:  11:00 – 12:00

• Pre-conference Regulatory Roundtable:  14:00 – 17:00  –  This event is facilitated and moderated by BIIA and has been scheduled at the request of Asian regulators.  It is a by invitation only event.

• Conference Registration opens 17:00 

• Networking Reception  18:30 – 20:30

October 31st 2019  Conference starts at 09:00 [Registration opens at 08:00]

09.30 – 10.15

• Artificial Intelligence:  Myth vs. Reality – The Challenges of increased digitization for the Financial Services Industry, Providers of Trade Credit and the Likely Consequences for Suppliers of Business and Credit Information

Technological changes are accelerating at an unprecedented pace.  Our conference theme in 2017 was ‘Embracing Digitization’ reflecting the rush to digitize data, information and knowledge.  For the BIIA 2019 Biennial Conference we chose to express the technological changes impacting our clients and our industry in the form of a formula:  AI + Analytics + Data = The Future of Managing Risk

To deliver the opening keynote we have invited Dr. Anthony Scriffignano, Senior Vice President and Chief Data Scientist of the Dun & Bradstreet Corporation.

Dr. Scriffignano has participated in many BIIA conferences.  He is admired by BIIA members and users of information services.

He is an internationally recognized data scientist with experience spanning over 35 years in multiple industries and enterprise domains. Dr. Scriffignano has an extensive background in anomaly detection, computational linguistics and advanced inferential algorithms, leveraging that background as primary inventor on multiple patents worldwide. Scriffignano was recognized as the U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year 2018 by the CDO Club, the world’s largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders.

Scriffignano serves on various advisory committees in government, private sector, and academia.  He is considered an expert on emerging trends in advanced analytics, the “Big Data” explosion, artificial intelligence, multilingual challenges in business identity and malfeasance in commercial and public-sector contexts.

Financial decisions have always been informed by data: data about the counterparties in a relationship, the nature of a transaction and historical risk are but a few examples. With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related capabilities, compounded with vastly increasing amounts of data and compute power, virtually all decisions are impacted in curious and sometimes alarming ways. Advances present tremendous opportunities and also give rise to unintended risks such as cybercrime, identity theft, and other malfeasant behavior.

In this session, Dr. Anthony Scriffignano, SVP/Chief Data Scientist at Dun and Bradstreet, will explore how the massive availability of data is changing the questions we must ask in the context of increasing digitization. Modern methods, tools and technologies can be very helpful or, as Dr. Scriffignano puts it, “they can accelerate the speed with which we hit the wall.”  If, however, we ask the right questions (and maybe use a bit of different math!), new sources of data can yield fascinating inferences. This talk, both relevant and occasionally irreverent, will explore some of the new ways data and AI are being used to expose risk and opportunity and the skills leaders need to take advantage of a curious world awash in data.

10.15 – 10.45     Networking Break – All delegates

10.45 – 12.30

• Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Business / Credit Information Industry 

  Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Anthony Scriffignano, SVP & Chief Data Officer Dun & Bradstreet Corporation 

  • Panelist: Professor Dr. Gjergji Kasneci, CTO & Head of Innovation and Strategic Analysis at SCHUFA Holding AG, Germany
  • Panelist: Danny Mu, Principal Analyst Serving CIO Professionals, Forrester Research
  • Panelists:  Timothy Choon, Managing Director FICO Compliance Solutions Asia – Pacific

• During the discussion we will hear from our panelists on how industry players begin to harness AI and in how AI is beginning to take hold in risk assessment.

12:30 – 14:00     Networking Break – All delegates

14.00 – 15.30

• The Changing Dynamics of Risk Management Information

The availability of data for use in risk management is changing at a rapid pace through the advent of new technology, the changing behavior of consumers, followed by the intervention of regulators.

New technology, such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Block Chain are facilitating direct access to new data sources, previously unavailable to credit information providers, which when combined with new analytical tools like AI and Machine Learning, is enhancing the products and services that can be offered to those offering finance and to the end user of these services – consumers and SMEs in particular.

The same dynamics are also challenging the traditional credit information industry data models, with direct access to more timely data, some believe, negating the need by the new ‘Fintech’ breed of lenders to access central credit information databases.

We are seeing consumers and SMEs attitude to the use of their data changing.  On one hand they are increasingly seeing the benefit of their data in allowing them access to financial services and on the other they are becoming increasingly concerned about what data is held by which organizations and for what purposes the data is being used, which is leading to a focus by regulators on cybersecurity measures and data privacy rights. 

Regulators are increasingly looking at ways in which new and alternative data sources from both the public and private sectors, can be made available to benefit consumers and SMEs through greater access to finance and other services. Some of these initiatives, such as ‘open data’ and PSD2 provide the credit information industry with opportunities to acquire more data. At the same time other regulators are also working on limiting the use of data through tighter data privacy regulations, like GDPR.

In this session our speakers will explore the changing data dynamics as a result of new technology (such as APIs and Block Chain) and the regulatory initiatives (such as ‘open data’ and PSD2) that are allowing access to previously unavailable data sources and provide case studies on how the credit information industry is using this data to help lenders and other providers of finance meet the needs of consumers and SMEs. We will also explore through further case studies how new players are using these same dynamics to ‘by pass’ the traditional credit information industry model. And finally we will consider how these changing dynamics sit alongside a growing appetite by regulators for tighter cybersecurity and data privacy measures to ensure that individuals and small businesses data is used in a secure and proportionate way.

• • Moderated by Neil Munroe, Deputy Managing Director BIIA
  • Panelist:  Edoardo Borsari,  International Market Director at CRIF SPA Information Solutions
  • Panelist:  Mohan JAYARAMAN, Regional Managing Director Asia Pacific for Decisions Analytics (DA), Business Information Services (BI) and Data at Experian
  • Panelist:  Marc Barrachin, Managing Director, Product Research and Innovation at S&P Global Market Intelligence

15:30 – 16:00     Networking Break – All delegates

16.00 – 17.30

• Financial Inclusion is driven by the need to provide access to finance for individuals, micro and small business.

  • This panel discussion is organised by the  SME Finance Forum of the International Finance Corporation and moderated by Matt Gamser, CEO of the SME Financial Forum.  Of keen interest for our members will be the discussion on the challenges for credit information services plus the way forward: “Credit information is dead, long live ‘financial capability information’:
• Definitions and dilemmas:
  • What does financial inclusion mean?  Why is it different from financial “access”?
    Why is it so hard to measure inclusion?  Why is there so much controversy over whether financial inclusion is a good thing?
• Challenges for credit information services:
  • Why, despite so much expansion of operations (and the positive results of the spread of credit information worldwide and in Asia), are so many people & businesses still uncovered and also not included?
  • What are some of the breakthroughs that are leading to more people being “covered”?
    • … and why (picking up on 2 years ago) have so many of these come from outside the established industry
    • What is the industry doing?
    • How do regulation and regulators affect progress in this area?
• The way forward:
  • “Credit” information is dead, long live “financial capability” information?
  • Services moving beyond just financing (including prescribing other individual and business support)
  • Service delivery/credit info clients diversification – industry already serves many corporates in the real sector, but is that enough?  Is the present relationship strategy enough?
• Panelists invited:
  • Dr. Meng Li, JD Finance Institute, Director, Industrial & Finance Research Center
  • Samuel White, Creditinfo Regional Manager for Asia
  • Sarah Davies, Nova Credit, Head of Risk and Analytics
  • Ritwik Ghosh, Grab Financial, Head of Lending Business and Operations 

09.00 – 09:30

• Identity:  Keynote – Increasing importance of managing identity – challenges and trends –  a perspective of a compliance professional

  • TAN WEE SOON, Executive Director, Group Financial Crime & Security Services (FCSS), DBS Bank Singapore
  • We will hear from a seasoned compliance expert about the current and potential regulatory trends and its implications on the financial services industry.  He will speak about current challenges for compliance professionals and their future needs from the business information industry

09.30 – 10.30

• Identity has become a major business activity driven by AML, KYC, eKYC compliance requirements

BIIA has invited a number of its members to discuss the dynamics of their growing ‘identity’ businesses.  Much of it is b2b although the convergence of business identities and the identities of individuals is underway.  No business can function without an owner and management in particular those who have beneficial ownership or hold proxies. All of which is dependent on transparency, however compliance officers often bemoan the lack of reliable, accurate and timely information.  We look forward to a lively discussion concerning the current and future prospects of this fast growing business segment.

• • Moderator:  Jane  Foo, Director and Chairman  of BIIA
  • Phil Cotter, Managing Director Risk at Refinitiv
  • Wayne Johnson, CEO at encompass
  • Stephen Ufford, CEO and Co-founder of Trulioo
  • Douglas Wolfson, Director of Market Planning, LexisNexis Risk Solutions

10:30 – 11:00     Networking Break – All delegates

11.00 -11:45

• Latest Developments from Legal Entity Identifier:  Should the business information industry rally behind a common legal entity identifier? 

The future of secure digital identity matters for competitiveness and security in a global and digital economy.  However, entity identification today is often fragmented using proprietary and siloed standards. This leads to higher cost and inefficiency in many organizations, and hampers transformation to a digital environment. Many organizations are looking for smarter ways or new models for managing identity information and workflows. This forum will provide attendees the opportunity to learn how the wide adoption of LEI could address these problems and help organizations better prepare for the digital evolution. GLEIF will discuss its approach of materializing the benefits of the LEI by growing the number of LEIs from 1.4 million currently to 40-50 million in a few years.

BIIA has invited the GLEIF Organization (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation).  GLEIF has been tasked by the Financial Stability Board to support the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI).   The discussion will focus on current developments of the LEI and the future prospects of the LEI becoming the neutral company identifier for legal and financial transactions.  If mandated by local authorities in the interest of AML/KYC compliance, would this lead to greater transparency?

• • Moderator:  Joachim C Bartels, Managing Director of BIIA
  • Stephan Wolf, CEO of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF)
  • Dr. Anthony Scriffignano,  SVP & Chief Data Scientist, Dun & Bradstreet Corporation
  • Phil Cotter, Managing Director Risk, Refinitiv
  • Ho Eng Ban, Director – Asia Pacific CUSIP Global Services Operated for the American Bankers Association by S&P Global Market Intelligence

11.45 – 12.45

• The Future of Credit & Credit Information  

  Given the almost unprecedented pace of technological change we believe this panel discussion to be rather provocative.  We expect active participation by the audience.

• • Panel Discussion with CEOs, COOs, CIOs  moderated by Neil Munroe, Deputy Managing Director at BIIA.
  • Matt Gamser, CEO at the SME Finance Forum of the IFC
  • Jérôme Pezé, CEO and Founder at Tinubu Square
  • Cato Syversen, CEO at Creditsafe
  • Ben Elliott, CEO Asia Pacific at Experian
  • Peter Villa, COO at Schufa Germany

    

12:45 – 13:00      Closing comments

Jane Foo, Chairman BIIA, Joachim  C Bartels, Managing Director, BIIA and Neil Munroe, Deputy Managing Director, BIIA

13:30 – 14:30     Networking Lunch – All delegates