The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) is a

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

and

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

based in London, and occasionally operating in New York. Founded in 1993, its goals include identifying new areas of business and provoking a debate about subjects of interest to financial services. It has no ideological brief, beyond a belief in open markets.

Activities

The CSFI holds 80-100 round-table meetings a year, bringing together finance practitioners, regulators, academics and members of the professions.

Prospect Magazine ''Prospect'' is a monthly British general-interest magazine, specialising in politics, economics and current affairs. Topics covered include British and other European, and US politics, social issues, art, literature, cinema, science, the medi ...

, in its annual Think Tank Awards for 2012, said: "The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation retains its good reputation for scrutinising regulations and for roundtables". Its work programme is built around topics including: * The post- financial crisis of 2007-2008 debate: how will the regulatory landscape be reformed? * Europe: prospects for the financial single market and the

eurozone The euro area, commonly called eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 19 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (€) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU policies ...

* Technology: the impact of the internet and other new developments on financial markets, payment systems and bank strategies * Governance: strengthening the financial sector *

Financial inclusion Financial inclusion is defined as the availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services. It refers to a process by which individuals and businesses can access appropriate, affordable, and timely financial products and service ...

: getting financial services out to those who need them * Risk management: identifying and managing emerging risks It also runs four fellowship programmes: * Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd/CSFI fellowship in Global Insurance * Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation/CSFI fellowship in Post-Trade Architecture *

Visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

/CSFI fellowship in Identity in Financial Services * Citi/DFID CSFI fellowship in Development

Publications

CSFI has published 110 reports on subjects of interest to financial services since its conception, including technology, new products, regulatory issues and risk management.
Perhaps best known is the Banana Skins series which, for more than a decade, has provided a risk barometer of the banking sector and, more recently, insurance and microfinance. Other recent publications which have received notable attention include Combining safety, efficiency and competition in Europe’s post-trade market (October 2012) and Private Equity, Public loss? (July 2010). The Centre has editorial responsibility fo
Financial World
a magazine published six times per year by the ifs School of Finance, with a global circulation of 18,000. It has published two books: ''The Credit Crunch Diaries'' (2009), by David Lascelles and Nick Carn, and ''Grumpy Old Bankers'' (2009).

Funding, personnel

The CSFI is supported by contributions from more than 70 corporate sponsors, as well as individual members and other donors. CSFI has a full time staff: Andrew Hilton, Director Jane Fuller, Co-director David Lascelles, Research Fellow Rhiannon Davidge, PA to the Director Leighton Hughes, Programme and FinTech lead Alex Treptow, Content Producer and Video Editor Jack Kunkle, Funding and Publications lead

Governing Council

The Governing Council which sets CSFI's overall direction and reviews its activities, chaired by ''Sir Malcolm Williamson''. Sir Brian Pearse is chairman of the Centre’s trustees. The other council members are: * Sir David Bell *

Geoffrey Bell Geoffrey L Bell, who was born in 1939, is an economist, banker, and Executive Secretary of the Washington-based Group of Thirty, a council of private and central bankers. Born in Grimsby, he was educated at the London School of Economics, before ...

* Rudi Bogni * Philip Brown * Bill Dalton * Sir David Davies * Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim El-Kuwaiz * Professor Charles Goodhart * John Heimann * John Hitchins * René Karsenti *

Henry Kaufman Henry Kaufman (born October 20, 1927) is president of Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc., a firm established in April 1988, specializing in economic and financial consulting, and is known by the nickname "Dr. Doom." Early life Henry Kaufman was born on ...

Sir Andrew Large Sir Andrew McLeod Brooks Large (born 7 August 1942) was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, and a member of its Monetary Policy Committee from September 2002 to January 2006. He is retired and serves on a lot of boards and "now acts indepe ...

* David Lascelles * Robin Monro-Davies * Rick Murray *

John Plender John Plender is a British financial journalist. John Plender is with the Financial Times where he has been a columnist and a senior editorial writer since 1981. He is also a broadcaster on current affairs for Channel 4 and the BBC. Earlier in ...

* David Potter * Mark Robson * David Rule * Sir Brian Williamson * Peter Wilson-Smith * Minos Zombanakis

References

{{Reflist

External links