The Leaders of Tomorrow: The Workforce of the Future
Scarlett Sieber
Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Money20/20. Contributor, Forbes. Author. International Speaker. Board Member.
Meet Claire Calmejane, a powerhouse in the financial services industry and the Chief Innovation O?cer at Societe Generale Group.
I invited Claire on the series to discuss how the needs of the industry have shifted over the last five years from the seats she has been in leading the digital transformation journey across some of the largest financial institutions in Europe. I was particularly interested in how that shift has impacted talent and executive receptiveness in this next era of digital transformation.
Claire has had an incredible career, with experiences leading both small and large teams. She began her financial services journey in 2006 at the Technology Transformation department of Capgemini Consulting, where she supported companies and especially ?nancial institutions in their technological and digital transformation. She later joined the London o?ce of Capgemini to lead the digital centre of the Financial Services sector. Today, Claire is located in Paris as the Group Chief Innovation O?cer at Societe Generale where she works with clients to build a sustainable future through responsible and innovative financial solutions.
Watch our conversation and read the full interview below to learn more.
#TechTuesday Highlight #101:?Claire Calmejane, Chief Innovation Officer of?Societe Generale Group
How/why did you get into your space?
When I entered the financial services industry, it seemed too complex to me. With digital, I saw the opportunity to rethink the customer experience into a simpler process - one that was innovative and more accessible.?
What role do you play in the tech ecosystem and why is that role important?
On a typical day, I interact directly with about ten tech companies and indirectly with hundreds through my teams. We drive these companies?through the group?and more widely through corporate ecosystems. Societe Generale is a global sponsor?of some of the biggest tech and fintech ecosystem events in Asia, Europe, and the US. We sponsor these events to to ensure that innovation happens. We also support competitions such as the women in tech challenge with 50inTech.?
With our start up Treezor, we support tech companies from the creation to the development??as a traditional banking partner.?
On a more personal note,?I have served as a fintech delivery panel member for the UK government. Last year, I was recognized by Typotec as the #1 Tech influencer in France and #3 on the European List. I am proudly the first woman to be listed in the top three on both lists.
How has technology impacted your industry and why is this important??
About 10 years ago, we saw the first online banking website and a mobile app delivered by digital teams in an IT department. Later on, digital and innovation divisions that reported to executive committees were created. Today, digital is everywhere. We need change agents that are capable of radically rethinking the customer journey and colleagues experiences through a digital and ESG lens. This type of innovative talent is critical in order to address new customer usages and new entrants. That’s why we created my role in the group general management at SG, to support the definition of the strategy and to integrate digital natively. We operate as a cockpit of digital transformation, regularly monitoring new trends and benchmarks, as well as creating new business models diversifying SG’s portfolio.?
What do you believe is the most exciting tech trend for 2021 (as it relates to your industry)?
2021 is the year of banking as a service; we have now been talking about it for about 5 years. The development of BaaS started by supplying neobanks with infrastructure such as account management, KYC, payment, then moving on to other related financial services and mobility through cards. This year with a 20% e-commerce year-over-year acceleration, we’re seeing the combination of consumer payment and credit which is taking BaaS to another level. We are also seeing new players such as Square entering the market, as it is a massive growth area for retail. We recently acquired Treezor, the leading BaaS platform in France in 2019, and it is now quickly expanding across Europe.
Who is a person that inspires you in the space and why??
I belong to a generation that only had a few women as role models. Today we have some key figures such as?Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer but also Margrethe Vestager. Having good and visible role models in tech is critical. As an IT engineer, I feel proud of my colleague Cecile Bartenieff who leads IT and Ops as COO of the investment bank. We also have Diony Lebot, our deputy CEO who is one of the most powerful women in Europe and my mentor.?
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into your space??
It is definitely the place to be!?
“If you decide to learn, what is the market value you create for yourself? The best leaders draw on the skills that are inherent to them, what they are good at.”
Anything else?
Curiosity, generosity and patience are the bedrock of my leadership career. Finding good sponsors and mentors have also been critical for me.?
#fintech #womenintech #finance #innovation #tech #technology #financialservices #digitaltransformation #baas #techtalent #futureoftalent #futureworkforce #esg #francetech #francefintech
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Have thoughts on this week’s trends or questions for me or Claire? Post your thoughts in the comment section or share them on Twitter. Please include the hashtag #techtuesday and mention me @ScarlettSieber! Until next week.???
You can connect with Claire on?LinkedIn?and Twitter and with Societe Generale Group on?LinkedIn and Twitter.
Well said, Scarlett Sieber! The advance to BaaS is ON! I see A.I. especially in the area of cognitive chatbots as essential to this development, don't you Claire Calmejane? Let's talk!!