Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation
The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) is a think tank and registered charity 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, 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".[1] Its work programme is built around topics including:[2]
- 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
- 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: 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/CSFI fellowship in Identity in Financial Services
- Citi/DFID CSFI fellowship in Development
Publications
As of 2013 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[3][4][5] 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)[6][7] and Private Equity, Public loss? (July 2010).[8][9][10][11]
The Centre has editorial responsibility for Financial World, a magazine published 10 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),[12] by David Lascelles and Nick Carn, and Grumpy Old Bankers (2009).[13]
Funding, personnel
The CSFI is supported by contributions from more than 70 corporate sponsors, as well as individual members and other donors.
CSFI has 3 full time staff: Andrew Hilton, Director, Jane Fuller, Co-director, David Lascelles, Co-director
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
- 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
- Sir Andrew Large
- David Lascelles
- Robin Monro-Davies
- Rick Murray
- John Plender
- David Potter
- Mark Robson
- David Rule
- Sir Brian Williamson
- Peter Wilson-Smith
- Minos Zombanakis
See also
- London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange -established by member of CSFI gov council member
References
- ↑ Mandelson, Peter (11 July 2012). "Think Tank of the Year Awards 2012". Prospect Magazine.
- ↑ "About CSFI".
- ↑ Hill, Andrew (2 February 2010). "Banks and banana skins". Financial Times.
- ↑ Harris, Julian (30 January 2012). "Fear of more bank failures still to come". City AM.
- ↑ Steyn, Lisa (31 January 2012). "SA banks worried about costs of economic crime". Mail & Guardian.
- ↑ Stafford, Phillip (29 October 2012). "Think tank urges clearing house failure plan". Financial Times.
- ↑ Central Banking newsdesk (2 October 2012). "New report calls for CCP resolution regime". Central Banking.
- ↑ "Paying the price". The Economist. 29 July 2010.
- ↑ Sullivan, Ruth (3 October 2010). "Returns from private equity questioned". Financial Times.
- ↑ Dealbook (26 July 2010). "New Report Asks: ‘Private Equity, Public Loss?’". New York Times.
- ↑ Arnold, Martin (25 July 2010). "Buy-out study queries performance". Financial Times.
- ↑ Swann, Christopher (10 November 2009). "The Credit Crunch Diaries". Reuters.
- ↑ Peston, Robert (19 March 2009). "Back to the nineteenth century?". BBC.