Elevandi Strengthens its Global Footprint with a New Managing Partner for EMEA and FTS Group Partnership
Singapore, 24 January 2024 – Elevandi, established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), announced its strategic expansion in Europe with the appointment of Matthias Kröner as the Managing Partner for EMEA. Based in Munich, Kröner will spearhead Elevandi’s initiatives in the region, with a focus on fostering collaboration with financial institutions and regulators to drive FinTech innovation and growth, starting with the Point Zero Forum (PZF).
Point Zero Forum 2024
2. Held from 1 - 3 July 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland, the Point Zero Forum is an initiative by Elevandi and the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance which brings together a confluence of minds to proactively address critical themes in the global backdrop: the climate crisis, geopolitical divergence, digital disruption, artificial intelligence, and more, within the financial sector.
3. PZF aims to assess progress on these consequential topics and will serve as the inflection point to guide the recalibration of the global financial sector in the second half of 2024.Matthias Kröner: Elevandi’s Managing Partner for EMEA
4. Kröner brings a wealth of experience to the role, having built a successful career in both the financial services and technology sectors. Helping to shape the European banking sector, he previously spearheaded digital growth while advocating for customer-centric financial services as the Founder and CEO of Fidor Bank and DAB Bank.
5. Matthias Kröner, Elevandi’s Managing Partner for EMEA said: “In an ever-evolving and highly regulated world, Elevandi understands the paramount importance of a community of experts, forging a path towards innovative solutions and shaping the architecture of tomorrow's financial landscape. With global challenges intensifying, Elevandi is our beacon of support and collaboration. I am very honoured to contribute and support that mission as I know based on my own experience, how relevant it is to have a supporting community”
Partnership with FTS Group
6. Kröner will be supported by a partnership with FTS Group, a UK advisory firm founded by Matteo Rizzi and Lazaro Campos in 2015, which recently appointed Francesca Aliverti as Senior Partner. The partnership is aimed at strengthening Elevandi’s leadership at the intersection of Policy, Finance and Technology in the EU and Africa regions in which both Rizzi and Aliverti boast extensive experience in, having built FinTech ecosystems and fostering innovation dialogues in these markets.
7. The partnership comes amidst Elevandi’s growing footprint in Africa — one of the fastest growing FinTech markets globally. The inaugural 3i Africa Summit from 13 - 15 May 2024 in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana and the Development Bank of Ghana; and the second edition of the Inclusive FinTech Forum in August 2024 in partnership with Kigali International Financial Centre and the National Bank of Rwanda, are key initiatives that underline Elevandi's commitment to driving financial growth and inclusion across the continent.
8. Commenting on the new appointment and partnership, Executive Director at Elevandi, Pat Patel shared: “As a not-for-profit, we are wired differently and focused on creating sustainable impact and advancing policy, tech and financial services roadmaps. I am very excited to have Matthias and FTS Group join the Elevandi family as we scale up for the next phase of growth. With the recent launch of our subsidiary in Japan and our partnerships with governments, corporates, startups, multilateral agencies and NGOs across Asia, Europe, Africa and LatAM, we are well-placed to drive growth across all of our in-person and digital platforms, education programs, reports and white papers.”
9. Elevandi will also be hosting the Japan FinTech Festival from 4 - 8 March 2024 in Tokyo. The Festival aims to bring together Japanese and global communities to engage, connect, and collaborate on technology-led innovation in financial services.
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About Matthias Kröner
Matthias Kröner, Head of EMEA at Elevandi and Non-Executive Board Member, is a serial entrepreneur and financial innovator with a passion for democratising access to banking. He has over two decades of experience building disruptive businesses, including founding DAB Bank AG, Fidor Bank AG and most recently Tradelite Solutions, a web3 company operating at the intersection of gamification, video games and the world of financial education. As Co-Founder and CFO of Tradelite Solutions, he honed his expertise in planning, building, and operating customer-centric business models.
Now at Elevandi, Matthias is leading the organisation’s expansion in Europe, working with financial institutions, technology providers, and regulators to unlock new opportunities for growth and build a more inclusive and future-proof financial landscape in the region.
About Elevandi
Elevandi, established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, is a not-for-profit organisation that engages with leaders from government, businesses, academia, and civil society to foster international collaborations with our members on innovation, application and adoption of technology.
Elevandi’s initiatives have convened over 420,000 people since 2016 through events, closed-door roundtables, investor programmes, educational initiatives, and research. SFF is the organisation’s flagship product; other known platforms under its wing include the Point Zero Forum, Elevandi Insights, Japan FinTech Festival, Global Financial Infrastructure Forum, Inclusive FinTech Forum, 3i Africa, Capital Meets Policy Dialogue and The Founders Peak with many more coming soon.
For more information on Elevandi, visit www.elevandi.io