press release

MIT Technology Review and BBVA Announce Seminar on The Future of Finance

CAMBRIDGE, MA – October 30, 2017: Today, MIT Technology Review and BBVA, the global financial services company headquartered in Madrid, announced a half-day seminar, Designing the Future of Finance. The seminar will be held: Thursday, November 2, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM PDT at the World Economic Forum offices located at 1202 Ralston Avenue in San Francisco, CA.

The free seminar brings together experts in the financial technology sector, including startups, large corporations, and investors, to share ideas and thoughts around major trends and issues in the financial world. Attendees will:

  • Meet disruptors in the financial technology sector.
  • Stay on top of the latest trends.
  • Network with leaders in an intimate setting.

“BBVA is delighted to be collaborating with MIT Technology Review on this thought-provoking program that brings together a wide array of innovators at the forefront of today’s fintech revolution.” said Jose Fernandez Da Ponte, head of BBVA’s SF Rep Office and EVP for business development and new ventures at BBVA’s New Digital Businesses unit. “We are at an interesting point in our digital transformation at BBVA. We are investing in, partnering with, and incubating banking disruptors all over the world, particularly in our Silicon Valley office. So we are both the disruptor and the disrupted.”

“We’re pleased to partner with BBVA to host this important seminar,” says Martin Giles, MIT Technology Review’s San Francisco bureau chief. “BBVA is doing important work in the space which aligns with our mission of equipping our audiences with the intelligence to understand and contribute to a world shaped by technology. The topics we’ll explore are critical to the community of business leaders, innovators, early adopters, entrepreneurs, and investors in the fintech space.”

The expert panel of speakers includes:

  • Francisco González, Group Executive Chairman, BBVA
  • Konrad Alt, COO, Merlon Intelligence, and former COO, Promontory
  • Susan Athey, Stanford Professor and former Chief Economist, Microsoft 
  • Daniela Barbosa, World Wide Alliances for Hyperledger, Linux Foundation
  • Konstantin Peric, Director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Kamal Quadir, Founder and CEO, bKash
  • Diego Rodriguez, Partner and Global Managing Director, IDEO
  • Bill Ready, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, PayPal
  • Nuno Sebastião, Founder and CEO, Feedzai 

They will discuss a wide range of topics, including AI, fraud prevention, blockchain, compliance, platform technologies, emerging business models, and financial inclusion.

The seminar is free and open to members of the financial technology community, but advance registration is required. Click here to learn more, see a full agenda, and register for the seminar.

About MIT Technology Review
Founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1899, MIT Technology Review is a digitally oriented independent media company whose analysis, features, reviews, interviews, and live events explain the commercial, social, and political impact of new technologies. MIT Technology Review readers are curious technology enthusiasts—a global audience of business and thought leaders, innovators and early adopters, entrepreneurs and investors. Every day, we provide an authoritative filter for the flood of information about technology. We are the first to report on a broad range of new technologies, informing our audiences about how important breakthroughs will impact their careers and their lives. Subscribe. Follow us: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram.

About BBVA
BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. It has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, and has leading franchises in South America and the Sun Belt region of the United States. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets, and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity and a long-term vision, and it applies the best practices. It is present in the main sustainability indexes.

BBVA’s New Digital Businesses (NDB) unit invests in, partners with, incubates, and acquires disruptive financial technology firms as part of BBVA’s focus on delivering innovation in the banking sector. From its offices in Madrid, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and London, NDB is actively searching for leading, innovative businesses to shape the future of the sector. Through NDB, BBVA has acquired Simple (U.S.), Holvi (Finland), and Openpay (Mexico) and owns a substantial stake in Atom (U.K.). It has incubated a number of fintech startups including, Azlo, Covault Denizen, Muno, and Trust-u. BBVA also invests in fintech through its venture capital arm, Propel Venture Partners.

Media Contacts:
MIT Technology Review
David Sweeney
[email protected]

BBVA
Silvia Davi
[email protected]

More Press Releases