Crypto. DeFi. Contactless payments. We've seen countless technologies promising to change finance as we know it – and in many cases, they have. But with regulation lagging behind innovation, is widespread adoption and acceleration a red flag for the finance world? Can we understand this seemingly unprecedented tech explosion within the context of finance history?
In this episode, hear from future of finance expert Ronit Ghose, of Citi Institutional Clients Group, and Sarah Hammer, Managing Director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance at the Wharton School, about why we should be excited for what our financial future holds, and some of the current projects and technologies that stand to equalize access, improve user experiences, and solve our most difficult problems.
The views expressed herein are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates. All opinions are subject to change without notice. Neither the information provided nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. The expressions of opinion are not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results.
Citibank N.A. and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania are not affiliated and are independent companies. The speakers views are their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Citi or any of its affiliates.
Bio: Ronit Ghose, Global Head of Citi's Future of Finance, Citi Global Insights
Ronit Ghose is Global Head of Citi’s Future of Finance team. Ronit’s current areas of focus include Digital Assets, the Metaverse, Web3 and the broader interaction of the future of technology, money and finance. The Future of Finance team is part of Citi Global Insights, the bank’s thought leadership unit, which provides analysis/advice to Citi’s clients and the bank’s leadership. Ronit’s reports on fintech and Web3 are among the most read reports Citi has ever published.
Ronit is an Advisory Board member at the Centre for Financial Technology at Imperial College Business School and at a several tech and VC firms based in Cape Town, Dubai and London. Prior to joining Citi ~25 years ago, Ronit worked in the policy world, including being a bag carrier for a former UK Prime Minister. Ronit is currently based in Dubai. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford, London & is a (lapsed) Chartered Financial Analyst.
Bio: Sarah Hammer, Managing Director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance and Senior Director of the Harris Alternative Investments Program, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Sarah Hammer is Managing Director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance and Senior Director of the Harris Alternative Investments Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In these roles, she focuses her efforts on private capital investments and financial technology. Ms. Hammer is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, teaching an upper level juris doctor course on financial regulation.
Previously, Ms. Hammer was Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions and Director of the Office of Financial Institutions Policy at the United States Department of the Treasury. In this role, she led and directed the Department’s policy responsibilities involving financial institutions, as well as oversaw the Federal Insurance Office and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Compliance Policy (cybersecurity).
Ms. Hammer also served on the board of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and assisted the U.S. Treasury Secretary in fulfilling responsibilities on the board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Ms. Hammer also served as cross functional team lead for a full review and report by the U.S. Treasury on the U.S. financial regulatory framework.
Ms. Hammer has held various leadership positions throughout financial services in general management, portfolio management, trading, marketing, research, and analytics at the Vanguard Group, PIMCO, JP Morgan Chase, BlackRock, and Tudor Investments.
Ms. Hammer is also a board member of the Independent Management Advisory Committee of the International Telecommunications Union at the United Nations (ITU). The ITU is the UN specialized agency responsible for all matters related to information and communication technology, including broadband internet, wireless technology, satellite, and television.
Ms. Hammer earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Studies from Oxford University. She is a Harry S.Truman Scholar and a Member of the American Law Institute.
