The OMFIF Podcast

How can central banks innovate in the digital age?

Xiaochen Zhang is principal manager at Amazon Web Services. Prior to AWS, Xiaochen worked with many portfolio companies in launching new offers, entering into new markets and building transformative collaborative initiatives on central bank digital currencies, sustainable development and blockchain. Xiaochen built strong collaborations with government agencies, multinational organisations and financial institutions through work with the World Bank, United Nations, Inter-America Development Bank, Astana International Finance Center, FinTech4Good and many other international platforms in the past 20 years.

Developing ESG talent in financial markets

Sherry Madera, senior vice president, public policy and government affairs at Mastercard and co-chair of the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance, Matthew Blake, head of financial and monetary system initiatives at the World Economic Forum, and Haleh Nazeri, platform curator, financial services, WEF, join Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute. They explore the need to drive environmental, social and governance talent development and acquisition in financial services and the skills required to meet net zero. They discuss how companies can fill the gaps identified in ESG talent and the tools, data strategies and policies required to create sustainability roles. 

View the World Economic Forum and Future of Sustainable Data Alliance Talent Development Tool here.

Download the report 'Future of Sustainable Data Alliance (FoSDA): towards consistent, comprehensive and coherent data' here. 

Regulating cryptoassets: balancing innovation and financial stability

On this podcast, Philip Middleton speaks to Ashley Alder on regulating cryptoassets. This clip was taken from our global DMI symposium which you can view here. Ashley Alder is the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). Ashley started his career as a lawyer in London in 1984. He came to Hong Kong in 1989 with the international law firm Herbert Smith, practicing corporate and business law. He was Executive Director of Corporate Finance at the SFC from 2001 to 2004, before returning to Herbert Smith, later as head of the firm’s Asia Region. He rejoined the SFC in 2011. Ashley was appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong as a Justice of the Peace in 2014 and is a Fellow of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Chairman of the IOSCO Asia Pacific Regional Committee. Ashley attained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London in 1982 and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master of Laws degree in 1983.

In conversation with Øystein Olsen, former governor of Norges Bank

Øystein Olsen, governor of Norges Bank for 11 years up to 28 February, speaks to David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, about the lessons he has learned over four decades in public service, including in helping to steer the world’s largest sovereign fund. Olsen, a veteran energy economist and formerly Norway’s statistics supremo, has become a member of the OMFIF advisory council. Norges Bank is responsible for managing the Government Pension Fund Global, with $1.3tn invested through Norges Bank Investment Management. In this podcast, Olsen, who handed over to Deputy Governor Ida Wolden Bache, speaks about his long-term role in developing the fund, its investment policies in supporting corporate governance and sustainability, Norway’s place in European energy, the future of oil and gas, and the 2020 controversy over the appointment of NBIM’s new chief executive.

Fireside chat with Wally Adeyemo

Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the US Treasury, joins Mark Sobel, US chair, OMFIF, for a broad discussion on the US’ fiscal outlook. Their discussion will take in everything from international comparisons of recovery, sanctions review and Afghanistan.

25 years of the MPC

Andrew Sentance, former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, speaks to Neil Williams, OMFIF’s chief economist, on the 25th anniversary of the MPC. With the committee a ‘quarter century not out’, Sentance shares his experience of being one of the more outspoken members. While covering the MPC’s numerous runs scored since 1997, he also navigates the dropped catches and the strategy needed to make the next 25 years even more impressive.

Strategies and policies for the clean energy transition in Germany

Philipp Steinberg, director general for economic policy and energy and ministry coordinator for sustainable development in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss Germany’s policies and strategies for reaching net zero. They touch upon regulatory frameworks – including Germany’s relationship with the EU taxonomy – the implications of the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine for renewable energy development and how capital can be reallocated towards clean energy.

Moving beyond ESG

Anne Simpson, newly appointed global head of sustainability at Franklin Templeton, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss the need for a more holistic approach to environmental, social and governance issues. They examine the convergence of standards and the impact of the newly created International Sustainability Standards Board, the role of the financial sector in achieving net zero and how to reallocate capital towards ESG investments. They explore how to prevent greenwashing, active ownership versus divestment and the increasing role that labelling is playing in investment decisions.

Quantum computing and the threat to standard cryptography

The advent of widely available quantum computing poses an existential threat to present techniques and standards of cryptography. William Gee, partner, innovation and digitalisation, PWC, and Andrew Cheung, president and chief executive officer of 01 Communique Lab, join Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss the implications of a new, more powerful type of computing that will render present cryptographic standards obsolete. They explore the consequences of the proliferation of quantum computing, the risks it poses and the steps being taken to mitigate them.

Is CBDC a necessary component of a digitalised capital markets infrastructure?

OMFIF's Philip Middleton, Digital Monetary Institute chair, sits down with Denis Beau, deputy governor at Banque de France, to discuss whether central bank digital currencies are a necessary component of a digitalised capital markets infrastructure. This podcast is taken from our 'Future of capital markets' report launch on 31 March 2022. Watch more here.