Bryan Walker

📢 Allica Bank CEO Richard Davies was quoted in The Times yesterday about how a few smart regulatory tweaks could unlock £500 million more in SME lending this year 🚀   He covered:   🏦 Why high street banks are pulling back from SME lending 💰 How UK businesses think about debt, and how to build confidence ⏩ Why speed of decision-making matters more than ever   We’re proud to back the UK’s established SMEs that make up the beating heart of the UK economy – and too often get overlooked.   With over £3 billion already lent, we’re transforming relationship banking with great rates, smart people and powerful technology. And with the right support from regulators, we could do even more.   Let’s make it easier for established SMEs to get the money they need to thrive 💼   👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e8bbt8S2   #SMEs #businessbanking #fintech #regulation #growth

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The British Business Bank has agreed an ENABLE Guarantee transaction of up to £300m with Close Brothers Asset Finance, unlocking fresh lending capacity for smaller UK businesses. Find out more at: https://lnkd.in/e8a_CPzz #CloseBrothers #AssetFinance #BritishBusinessBank #ENABLEGuarantee #SMEFinance

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Jack Henry acquires Victor Technologies to boost PaaS offering Victor was created by Jack Henry client MVB Bank in 2021, and enables banks to offer embedded payment services to fintechs and commercial customers. https://lnkd.in/ebHfjvJH

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Open banking was covered widely at this week's Labour Party Conference, with widespread recognition of its critical role in powering UK economic growth and innovation. A standout moment was our Policy Director, Luke Ryder joining a fintech panel alongside Luke Charters MP, TrueLayer’s Megan Coulson, Financial Conduct Authority's Sacha Sadan, and Startup Coalition’s Charlie Mercer. The discussion explored: ✅ The journey OBL is supporting with industry and regulators to secure a long-term framework for open banking; ✅ How we can accelerate progress towards Open Finance to unlock benefits for consumers, businesses and the wider economy; ✅ The growing collaboration across the ecosystem to make this vision a reality. We were also pleased to participate in Innovate Finance and EY’s roundtable on Tech’s Plan for Change, where open banking was highlighted as a prime example of UK-led innovation. Attendees welcomed the move towards a sustainable, long-term model that supports the full ecosystem and enables continued growth. OBL remains committed to working with industry, policymakers, regulators, and consumer and business representatives to support this flourishing UK sector and ensure open banking continues to play a pivotal role in driving inclusive economic growth. #OpenBanking #OpenFinance #Innovation #FinTech #FutureOfFinance #Innovation #DigitalInnovation #TechInnovation The Labour Party

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UK-US news 🚨 UK digital banking leader Starling Bank announces over $100 million investment to expand US operations, bringing their responsible digital banking model to US consumers 🏦 💻 This significant commitment demonstrates how UK fintech innovation creates value across the Atlantic, driving job creation and sustainable growth through strategic partnership 🤝 Starling's expansion showcases the power of the UK-US economic relationship in fostering financial innovation that benefits consumers on both sides of the ocean 🌎 See CEO Raman Bhatia's full statement on this major US investment below👇 #StateVisit #FinancialServices #UKIndustrialStrategy 

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Allica Bank is on the move to capture 10% of the UK SME Market 📣 We sat down with Niv Subramanian, deputy CEO at Allica Bank, to discuss how the bank is using #AI innovation and a human-first approach to reshape #SME lending. In this exclusive interview, Niv shares: 🔹 How Allica is racing toward gaining 10% of the UK SME market 🔹 Why lenders must adapt to new technologies to stay relevant 🔹 How AI and human touch creates the perfect balance for customer trust 👉 Don’t miss Niv’s insights on the future of lending, growth, and what sets Allica apart. Catch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/e-yQNSPD #SMEs #AI #Lending #Fintech #BankingInnovation #Leadership

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If you ever question why collaboration pays, look at this result: advocacy groups from the #payments industry including UK Finance and The Payments Association have prevented well-meaning but disproportionate regulators from imposing 'creative' but what would have been seriously damaging changes to safeguarding regulations in the UK. The team at Travers Smith led by Natalie Lewis and Matt Humphreys highlight this outcome in their article, explaining how the changes being made will mean EMIs and PIs can continue to compete on a level playing field. World class collaboration. Riccardo Tordera-Ricchi Robert Courtneidge Mitch (Munish) Trehan Neil Harris Jana Mackintosh Nuala Jackson Sophie Boissier Ben Agnew Tom Brewin https://lnkd.in/evjedX7H

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Challenger bank expands after £5 billion boost “We’ve built a resilient, diversified balance sheet that sets us up for sustainable profitability – and we’re still building momentum.” Chetwood Bank has unveiled expansion plans after breaking a £5 billion balance sheet benchmark. The digital lender is opening a Manchester office which will build on existing bases in London, Wrexham and Fleet, leaving it primed to continue its momentum across the UK banking sector. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eZpHStrf Paul Noble

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Our Managing Director of Payments and Innovation, Jana Mackintosh, features in Finextra today discussing tokenised deposits. “Tokenised deposits offer the same security and familiarity of regular bank money, but with added features such as programmability - which in practice means better functionality, giving customers more control and security with their money.”   Read in full: https://lnkd.in/eTU-E9pW.   #UKFinance #Tokenisation #Payments 

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📣 We’re thrilled to share the latest updates to our Global Central Banking & Financial Regulation qualifications, delivered in collaboration with the Bank of England. Updated modules include: 🏦 Money, Banks and Financial Innovation Explore the vital role of money, banks, and financial institutions in today’s economy. This module covers fractional reserve banking, the importance of central banks, challenges of shadow banking, historic bank failures, systemic crises, and the impact of fintech on payment systems. 🖥️ Data Science, AI & Machine Learning Harness the power of big data and machine learning. You’ll be equipped to analyse forecasting techniques for economic indicators like inflation and recession risks, address ethical challenges in banking, and gain hands-on experience with machine learning using R programming. As the financial landscape continues to evolve, we’re committed to ensuring our modules reflect current developments and insights 💡 Discover the programme: https://lnkd.in/eRiVQSE5 #FinancialInnovation #DataScience #BankingEducation

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FinTech lender Zvilo secures €75m facility from Fasanara Zvilo, a FinTech company specialising in working capital solutions for underserved markets, has secured an expanded credit facility of up to €75m from Fasanara Capital. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/gjc5QEFH #FinTech #Lending #Loans Admir Imami Peter Maila

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