60 seconds with Yves-Gabriel Leboeuf, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Flinks

Newsdesk
28 Aug 2019

Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Flinks –Yves-Gabriel Leboeuf, joins the Innovation Spotlight session at Open Banking Expo, Canada on 18 September. Join Yves-Gabriel Leboeuf and Equifax Canada, at our Toronto event, as these innovators give exclusive insider insight into how you can digitize your processes, improve user experience and reduce delinquency.

Q: Explain what you do in less than 50 words

I lead Flinks in its mission to offer the world a global financial data connectivity platform.

Q: Why did you choose to speak at Open Banking Expo Canada?

To exchange with decision makers and people interested in this important topic on how to make Open Banking a reality for Canadians.

Q : What are the challenges to overcome before Canada can implement Open Banking?

• API specifications ; breadth and depth of data available, maintenance protocol and reliability requirements;
• Oversight body ; who will deliver the financial data access licenses to third party providers, ensure financial institutions
comply with the API requirements, and how to ensure they are neutral and how they are going to be financed;
• Consent management; what rules need to be dictated in order to make sure that consumer consent is clear, educated,
revocable, and tailorable in terms of what data is accessed, who it is shared with, and for how long.

Q: If Open Banking is implemented in Canada, what are your predictions for the future of its financial landscape?

Increased innovation in new generation financial services; increased product offer to consumers; rising adoption levels for these new products; increased competition in the financial services industry. In other words, consumers will be significantly empowered within a sector that has traditionally tended to be oligopolistic and non-consumer friendly.

Q: If relevant to you, what Open Banking initiatives has your organisation undertaken so far?

An Open-Banking regime is being contemplated by Canadian lawmakers and policymakers at the moment; we are involved in the conversations organized by these entities and are trying to showcase how beneficial Open Banking can be for the Canadian society, including consumers, innovators, and banks.

Q: Outside of the banking sector, which industries do you see benefiting from Open Banking? Will they be quick to adopt the principles?

Everyone will benefit from Open Banking. The use cases are limited only by your imagination. Employers may use it to optimize payroll solutions, small businesses may use it to facilitate their payments, and so forth.