Podcast Interview: Cultivating the groundwork in Europe: Cooperation is key for banks to grow payments convergence

Spurred in part by the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative, Europe is moving steadily toward tighter convergence of its physical and financial supply chains. Yet, in a 2007 IBM Payments Convergence study, twenty leading European banks and corporations did not always see eye-to-eye on the topic. To stay competitive and better serve their customers, banks must act now to prioritize collaboration in several areas: with their corporate customers to create innovative supply chain-based products, and with representative bodies, both to influence the creation of payments standards and to establish legislative consistency across borders.

Listen to a discussion with Gerard Hartsink and Erkki Poutiainen on the role that SEPA is playing to reshape the bank - corporate customer relationship; the potential of a renewed e-invoicing infrastructure and the role of cooperation in driving innovation into the payments market space

Gerard Hartsink is Senior Executive Vice President of Market Infrastructures of the ABN AMRO Bank and Chairman of the European Payments Council. During his career he has had managerial roles in sales, product development and operations in several business units within the ABN AMRO Group. Today he holds responsibility for the relationships ABN AMRO has with the market infrastructures in the payments and cards industry and the forex and securities industry and with public authorities involved. Gerard Hartsink represents ABN AMRO Bank in the following organisations: EPC, EBA, CLS, LCH.Clearnet, Euroclear MAC, CESAME, ISO 20022 RMG and SWIFT NMG. Erkki Poutiainen is Head of Infrastructure, Nordea Cash Management. Previously, he has served Nordea Bank and its predecessors in different positions, countries and business areas from 1980 ranging from branch office duties, consultancy to e-business and strategy. For the last few years he has worked with payments and cash management. External positions: Member of the European Payments Council Plenary, former chair of an EPC group working for e&m-payment solutions. Board member, EBA Association. Chairman of the EBA E-Invoice Working Group. Board member in IBOS Cash Management club 2001-2004.

Listen to the podcast (or right click to download and save) (9.3MB)