Australia was hit hard by the global recession but we have weathered the storm better than almost all other advanced economies. Factors we can point to that contributed to this recovery include past economic reforms, comparatively effective regulation, government guarantees and fiscal stimulus packages both at home and at the countries of our trading partners.
Having weathered that storm, it’s imperative that Australia take advantage of the green shoots of recovery and ensure that this recovery is sustainable. The 2010 Business Forums in Australia will take a close look at how our financial community can act together to build on the strengths and stability of the financial system and find opportunities for growth in Australia, in Asia and beyond.
Indeed, our discussions must address not only the Australian market but also our role within the greater Asian Pacific region.After all, Australia has engaged closely with the Asia Pacific region over the last 25 years and interdependencies are significant. Today, for example, Japan, China, Korea and India account for nearly half of Australia’s total exports of $140 billion. Their economic success impacts ours, and we will talk about what our industry is doing to drive growth for our customers and our shareholders. The Asian financial services industry is also a source of competition. IDC Financial Insights analysed 100 banks from the region in April 2010 and found that 45 of these banks were showing higher revenues and 52 showed higher profits than just four months prior. Is this recovery an opportunity for Australian financial institutions in Asia?We will certainly need to talk about what we need to do to accelerate Australia’s development as a regional financial hub and where growth exists in the trade, payments and securities markets in our region.
The 2010 SWIFT Business Forums in Australia will explore and debate all these issues and more with our distinguished guest speakers and SWIFT colleagues, and we look forward to your active participation as you network with your peers and discuss “what’s next” for Australia together with us.We look forward to seeing you in either Sydney or Melbourne this May.
Agenda — Thursday 20 May 2010
8.30 – 9.00
Registrations open
Opening Plenary hosted by Nektarios Liolios, Regional Manager, SWIFT Australia
9.00 – 9.15
SWIFT Welcome
Charles Legrand, Head of South Asia, SWIFT
9.15 – 9.45
Opening Keynote — We’ve weathered the storm; what’s next?
The keynote speaker will discuss “We’ve weathered the storm: what’s next?” in relation to the recent report from the Australian Financial Centre Forum: “Australia as a Financial Centre: Building on our Strengths”. The Government commissioned the report as part of its commitment to secure Australia’s future as a leading financial services centre.
Speaker:
Geoff Weir, Director, Australian Financial Centre Forum
9.45 - 10.05
We have weathered the storm, what’s next? — A SWIFT Australia perspective
In this session, we will review how the SWIFT community has weathered the storm and look at whether there are signs of recovery according to SWIFT indicators. We will look at lessons learned by the community in 2009, trends for 2010 as well as the priorities for SWIFT in Australia for 2010 and beyond.
Speaker:
Zelda Anthony, Head, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, SWIFT
10.05 - 10.25
New from SWIFT Growth is returning to the market and new opportunities are presenting themselves, what is SWIFT doing to help you capture new business and grow your existing market? This session will look at how SWIFT is helping new and existing SWIFT users to more fully exploit the potential of SWIFT. Touching on Alliance Integrator, Consulting Services and Lite, we will explore what is new from SWIFT in 2010, and how SWIFT is continuing to evolve its product offering to meet the needs of the market.
Speaker:
James Bibby, Manager, Banking and Corporates, SWIFT
10:25 – 10:45
Innovation at SWIFT, fact or fiction?
SWIFT Innovation Leader Matteo Rizzi will talk about how SWIFT is approaching the important area of innovation through the practice of “Open Innovation” and will ask you to decide whether innovation at SWIFT is fact or fiction.
Speaker:
Matteo Rizzi, Innovation Leader, SWIFT
10:45 – 11:15
Networking coffee break
11:15 – 12:15
Securities – What’s on the horizon? Tim Hamer, SWIFT Securities Manager, will introduce this session involving three prominent speakers from the Securities market in Australia who will focus on key developments in the securities industry.
Speakers:
Josef Pilger, Executive Director Financial Services Ernst & Young, will talk about the Cooper review and its possible impact on the financial market.
Dañelle Michael, Senior Manager - Intermediary Services, Computershare
Computershare will provide an update on the collaborative efforts by the financial services community to streamline corporate actions processing.
Scott Riley, Business Development, Fortis Global Clearing
The need for industry standards in the back-office and the European Multilateral Clearing Facility (EMCF) – are there lessons to be learnt for Australia?
12:15 – 13.30
Networking luncheon
13:30 – 14:30
Trade — How can the trade industry collaborate to improve the supply chain?
This session will explore how the trade industry can collaborate in the effective use of standardisation and electronic platforms to enable supply chain efficiency, to reduce risk and optimise liquidity management and financing. We will consider how corporate treasurers can manage trade finance liquidity and how the industry can help Corporates to reduce the costs and risks associated with trade processing, to increase the visibility on their cash positions and we will hear examples of how banks are using SWIFT to finance open account transactions.
Speakers:
Peter Blanchard, Chief Executive Officer, Tradegate Australia Ltd.
Stephen Holden, General Manager, Working Capital & INternational Finance, Commonwealth Bank
Connie Leung, Head of Trade and Supply Chain Markets, Asia Pacific, SWIFT
14:30 – 15:00
The future of low value payments in Australia
In this session the Australian Payments Clearing Association will look at the proposed changes to low value payments in Australia including an update on the current projects for clearing and settlement as well as a roadmap for the future.
Speaker:
Chris Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer, APCA Ltd.
15:00 – 15:30
Networking coffee break
15:30 – 16:30
Where business and standardisation meet
Standards continue to play a critical role in lowering the cost and risk for the global SWIFT community. We will provide updates on SWIFT Standards activities and plans, including ‘everything you always wanted to know’ about Standards coexistence. We also look forward to hearing your views on how SWIFT Standards can best support the standardisation priorities of the Australian community.
Speakers:
Jamie Shay, Head of Standards, SWIFT
Martine De Weirdt, Head of Coexistence, SWIFT
16.30 – 17:15
Closing Panel Discussion – Opportunities and challenges for Australian businesses in Asia
The panel will discuss issues such as: Should Australian corporates and financial institutions be looking to Asia to help them grow or elsewhere? What are the major opportunities in Asia? What challenges and risks will Australian businesses face in realising Asian growth opportunities?
Moderator:
Kim Ivey, Chairman, Alternative Investment Management Association
Panelists:
Tony Sacre, General Manager, Working Capital Finance, CBA
Alan Huse, Head of Trade and Supply Chain, Australia, ANZ
Speaker from a Hedge Fund operating in Asia to be confirmed
17:15 – 17:30
Closing remarks
Nektarios Liolios, Regional Manager, SWIFT Australia
17:30 – 19:00
Networking cocktails
Solution zone
Partners who are exhibiting at the SWIFT Business Forum in Melbourne will be listed here soon.
Giving back to the community
SWIFT is proud to support Youth Off The Streets, an organisation that helps homeless and drug addicted young Australians as they work to turn their lives around. For more information please refer to their website at http://www.youthoffthestreets.com.au/index.html.
