Among the more popular members of our regular roster of Finovate speakers is Jeremy Balkin. An expert in retail bank management, fintech innovation, and strategic digital partnerships, Balkin spent six years as Head of Innovation with HSBC USA where he was part of the team that introduced humanoid robot Pepper to HSBC’s flagship Fifth Avenue branch.
So what’s new? Balkin announced today that he has joined JP Morgan Chase & Company as its new Head of Fintech and Innovation for Wholesale Payments. In his new capacity, Balkin will supervise fintech and innovation initiatives for wholesale payments, as well as help advise the company with regards to potential investments and partnerships with companies that can help JP Morgan become more effective in the space. JP Morgan’s wholesale payments business moves $7 trillion every day.
Balkin most recently shared his insights with Finovate audiences last fall as part of FinovateWest Digital. His discussion centered on how financial institutions can use innovations in customer experience to win new customers and better engage current ones. Adding new services, products, and rewards, Balkin argued, is a better strategy for most financial institutions than “the dead-end of price competition”. This customer-centric approach, which embraces fintech innovation, is all the more vital in a world in which Big Tech is effectively leveraging its digital platforms to offer financial services to its increasingly digitally-native customers.
In addition to his public appearances and work with banks and fintechs, Balkin is also an author. His books include Investing with Impact: Why Finance is a Force for Good and Millennialization of Everything: How to Win When Millennials Rule the World. We wish him luck in his new opportunity with JP Morgan Chase and look forward to seeing him on the Finovate stage again soon.
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