The OMFIF Podcast

Building a thriving CBDC ecosystem

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, for a discussion on why public and private sectors need to come together to pool their strengths to build a thriving CBDC ecosystem. They will discuss the advantages for both stakeholders and users, and underscore the importance of offline functionality as a key area for collaboration.

Access deeper insights by also downloading OMFIF’s report in partnership with G+D: Unlocking the potential of a CBDC ecosystem  

Economic implications after the European Parliament election

Geoffrey Yu, senior Europe, Middle East and Africa market strategist at BNY Mellon, joins Taylor Pearce, lead economist of OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the outcomes of the European Parliament election and the subsequent market implications. They discuss the effects of a snap election in France, the potential impact of the new European Parliament on trade policy and other major market topics.

The path to unified ledgers

With its recent 'Finternet' paper, the Bank for International Settlements has planted its flag firmly in shared ledgers as the future rails of financial infrastructure. The idea of a single platform – a network of ledgers – providing the means for the seamless and instant settlement of many financial and non-financial assets versus tokenised cash is certainly attractive in its promise. Delivering such a complex ecosystem entails a great deal of complexity, both technically and from the perspective of governance.

However, incremental steps in that direction are already delivering business value. To explain how tokenised settlement platforms are improving financial markets, Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute, is joined by Basak Toprak, EMEA head of coin systems at Onyx by JP Morgan, and Atul Bhuchar, head of product at Partior.

Sustainability-linked bonds: innovations in green finance

Ulf Erlandsson, founder and chief executive officer of the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, joins Edward Maling, economist at OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the importance of fixed income markets for the climate transition. Sharing insights from AFII’s Sustainability-Linked Bond Handbook, Erlandsson explores the latest innovations in sustainable financial products, the nuances of SLBs and the potential for their continued development.

Robert Stheeman: 20 years of managing UK government debt

Robert Stheeman, the departing chief executive of the UK Debt Management Office, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to recall the highs and lows of more than two decades managing the gilt market. Stheeman discusses dealing with crises including the infamous 2022 mini budget, how the gilt market has evolved, the importance of maintaining the primary dealer system and more.

Indicators and policies to drive gender balance in financial institutions

Regina Curry, chief diversity officer at Franklin Templeton, joins Emma McGarthy, head of the Sustainable Policy Institute at OMFIF, to discuss the importance of gender balance in financial institutions. They examine the necessary benchmarks, key indicators and information required to retain and encourage women in leadership positions as well as how to foster inclusive cultures and overcome barriers. 

Microsoft's vision for responsible AI in the public sector

Valentina Ion, public finance and public transportation lead at Microsoft, joins OMFIF to discuss the company's commitment to ethical and responsible artificial intelligence in the public sector. She explores the key risks posed by advanced AI systems, outlines Microsoft's core principles for ethical development and explains the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing AI safety and governance challenges. Ion also offers suggestions for how individuals can stay informed about AI's evolving landscape.

Using better measures to inform public spending

In the first of three podcasts as part of OMFIF’s project with EY on the future of public money, OMFIF’s Nikhil Sanghani is joined by Dr Carolyn Bordeaux, senior visiting scholar at the University of Georgia and former member of the US House of Representatives, and Mark Macdonald, global public finance management leader at EY.

They discuss the growing fiscal constraints facing governments, the need for effective institutional structures and the importance of having better metrics to inform public spending decisions.

Financial stability outlook: risks and resilience

Pedro Duerte Neves, Adviser for the Board of Directors and former Vice-Governor of Banco de Portugal, joins Taylor Pearce, senior economist, Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, OMFIF, to discuss the global financial stability outlook. Their discussion references the IMF’s 2024 Global Financial Stability Report, and examines vulnerabilities and risks to the global financial system, including stretched asset valuations, burgeoning public and private debt and the growing probability of cyberattacks.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Banco de Portugal or the Eurosystem.

Taking stock: financial market integration in Europe

Björn Storim, chief executive officer, and Ben Pott, managing director and international head of public policy and government affairs at BNY Mellon, join Clive Horwood, managing editor and deputy chief executive officer at OMFIF. They assess the progress towards capital markets union in Europe and the need to accelerate financial market integration. They discuss the current challenges, approaches to harmonising market infrastructure and regulations and the importance of securitisation to European competitiveness.