Chris Skinner - Doing Digital: Lessons from Leaders

Chris Skinner is probably the most astute observer of FinTech in the world today and only Chris could get some of the worlds largest digital banker leaders to talk so openly and honestly about the challenges and opportunities facing them. I dont think there is anyone on the planet with Chriss understanding of the future of banking, and unique vision of the future of FinTech. I wish Chris had written this book ten years ago and recommend that you stop what you are doing and read this book. It will transform your thinking and help you transform your business.

Anthony Thomson
Founder and Former Chairman, Metro Bank and atom bank, Co-founder and Chairman 86 400 (Australias first bank for mobile)

Chris Skinner is one of the foremost thought leaders in digital banking. His historical knowledge of banking technology as well as his digital thought leadership make Doing Digital: Lessons from Leaders a must-readnot only for anyone in the leadership of a traditional bank or an upstart FinTech firm, but for anyone interested in how digital transformation is changing the future of commerce.

Larry Tabb
Founder and Research Chairman, TABB Group

Its about time someone wrote this book. Not the carefully worded white papers, the generic press releases or the polished conference keynotes. But an in-depth look at why banks are transforming and how they are setting about actually doing it.

David M. Brear
Group CEO at 11:FS

Banks have been at the centre of British finance through the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and two World Wars. But to continue to surviveand thrivethey must continuously adapt to focus on the changing needs of customers. Doing Digital faces the hard realities and highlights the challenges banks face to fundamentally shift and successfully digitally transform.

Ashok Vaswani
Global Head of Consumer Banking & Payments, Barclays Bank

A digital bank should aspire to be like their BigTech peers, as Chris argues in this book. Highly elastic IT infrastructures, relentless focus on client-centric product design that leverages Big Data perspectives, and intensive investment in engineering and tech talents are all essential ingredients for the success of modern digital businesses. They serve as some of the most important guiding principles on our path to become one of the worlds leading digital banks. This book is a must-read for bank leaders, especially those about to embark on their own digital transformation journeys.

Henry Ma
VP and CIO, WeBank (a division of Tencent)

Chris Skinner has been at the forefront of analyzing the intersectioncollision, some might sayof technology and banking. In his daily blog, his lectures, his consulting practice, and his books, Chris sees things that others miss and helps the reader understand their significance. His latest book Doing Digital offers concrete, tactical lessons learned from CEOs and other top leaders who were among the first to grasp the full implications of the digital revolution and are transforming their banks accordingly. Told with Chriss trademark wit, Doing Digital is at heart a story of successful management of profound change and the visionary leadership that journey requires. Highly recommended.

Tillman Bruett
Global Practice Lead, Financial Services and Investment, DAI, and Former Director, United Nations Secretary-Generals Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals

Chris Skinners work resists the twin temptations to romanticize technology and to dismiss bankers as dinosaurs lumbering towards the tar pits. Chris has the historical grounding to understand the indispensable role that banking plays in advancing prosperity. He also has the imagination to see what a truly digital bank could be, and a clear-eyed understanding of what it takes to get there. Doing Digital is a valuable resource not just for bankers but for anyone interested in change management, especially when the stakes are high.

M. Mudassar Aqil
Chief Executive Officer, Telenor Bank (Pakistan)

Deeply insightful, highlighting the challenges and more importantly the opportunities our industry faces.

Nick Ogden
Serial entrepreneur, Founder of WorldPay and Executive Chairman of ClearBank

In the sea of proclamations from pundits that banks must become digital, Doing Digital stands out for its ability to prescribe specific actions banks must take, and describe what banks who are doing digital transformation well are actually doing. Its refreshing to see a book that helps instead of hypes.

Ron Shevlin
Author of Smarter Bank and The Fintech Snark Tank on Forbes

For the past ten years my role at Silicon Valley Bank has provided me a front row seat to the banking changes that Chris Skinner has chosen to chronicle and debate. His resume, endless travel and curiosity give him a unique perspective from which to opine and predict. He has used this vantage point and his wit to push banks to become more self-aware, introduce technologists into their leadership ranks, and understand that all is not lost. But that time is truly running out. The company I work for banks, invests in and competes with the world of FinTech that Chris follows. We see first-hand, on a daily basis, the world that he describes and the change companies like Stripe, Amazon, Brex and JPMC are making to reframe the competitive landscape. Its here. This new landscape has pushed many banks and SVB to change.

Chriss new book is a great read that highlights the banks that are in the midst of making these changes and a walk through the how with their leaders. No pontification re his thoughts on the topic but real-time insights into what other banks are doing and their thinking behind their transition to stay competitive. If you dont follow his daily blog, start. If you want more detailed insights from your peer banks you soon may be lapped byread his books. Id suggest starting with Doing Digital.

Mark Sievert
Managing Director, Global Payments & Merchant Service Solutions, Silicon Valley Bank

Transforming an incumbent financial institutions processes and systems to be fit for purpose in the digital age is no small matter. But Chris Skinner argues convincingly that the real transformation challenge is ultimately cultural. From having technologists as well as bankers in the C-suite, to forming effective partnerships with FinTechs, to expanding the mindsets among staff, and above all to serving as trusted stewards of the new oil of customer data, the digital bank represents a significant break from the past. As Chriss work demonstrates, the narrative for financial services is becoming much more future-oriented and strategic, less inward-focused and more receptive to collaborations and partnerships. Doing Digital is a vital contribution to that narrative.

Matthew Blake
Head of Financial & Monetary System Initiatives, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum

Chris understands that successful financial institutions integrate digital into their core, rather than approach it as a project. Doing Digital spotlights leaders who not only understand this but have rewired their organization around this thinking.

Mike Heffner
Vice President, Global Industry Leads, Appian

FinTech is about improving rather than replacing the traditional financial sector. Chris Skinner shows how fintech is helping to lower investment barriers, make the banking industry more transparent, and promote financial inclusion.