In this episode, Arjun engages in a fascinating conversation with Mikhail Lomtadze, CEO and co-founder of Kaspi, the groundbreaking super app that is transforming daily life in Kazakhstan and beyond. 

Mikhail shares Kaspi's journey from traditional banking and financial services to becoming a super app that offers everything from shopping and payments to government services and even marriage registrations—all within one platform.

In this episode, Arjun sits down with Roger Rouhana, CEO of Alpheya, to explore the future of wealth management in the MENA region.

Their conversation delves into global wealth and asset management trends, highlighting the growing demand for innovative digital solutions and the crucial role of robo-advisors in making wealth management more accessible.

They also discuss Alpheya's mission and foundation, the evolving landscape of wealth management in the GCC region, and the impact of trading apps on the wealth tech industry.

Digital Leadership: Embracing the New Tech Age!

This week, we sit down with Pedro Sousa Cardoso, Chief Digital Officer at Emirates NBD, to explore the state of banking in the UAE. We have an in-depth conversation on the evolving role of CDOs, increasing collaboration between banks and fintechs, and venture building within banks, using Liv Bank as an example.

Tune in to discover how Emirates NBD is leading the charge in banking innovation.

Chit-fund with a digital twist!

Ahmed Wadi, Founder and CEO of Money Fellows is our latest guest on the show. Money Fellows is a pioneering startup from Egypt that has digitized the ancient financial concept of ROSCAs, where a group of individuals act as an informal financial institution. In our chat, Ahmed shares insights on Money Fellows' operational strategy, the challenges and opportunities of building a startup in Egypt, and the overall fintech landscape in the country.

Discover how Money Fellows is revolutionizing this millennia-old concept!

Join us for Episode 3 of Couchonomics with Arjun as we explore the UAE's entrepreneurship ecosystem with Professor Ramesh Jagannathan, Managing Director of StartAD. Learn about StartAD's innovative programs, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the role of women in business. Subscribe for insightful discussions on driving economic growth and global competitiveness in the UAE!

Welcome back to Couchonomics! In line with the theme of rearchitecting the global financial system, this week we explored the banking sector in the UAE and the wider GCC: regulatory focus, financial crime regulation, innovation, and in general, what the banking sector could do differently.

Helping us explore these topics, we had the privilege of hosting Raheel Ahmed, CEO of RAKBANK, on our show. During our conversation, Raheel shared his insights on the dynamic relationship between fintech and banks, his views on central banks, and Arjun even managed to slip in a CBDC question. 💸

Dive into the future of Fintech with J.K. Khalil, General Manager at MasterCard GCC & Pakistan! Join Arjun and J.K. as they explore the partnership dynamics between fintechs and banks, the game-changing role of governments in innovation, embedded finance, and MasterCard's bold new initiatives! Don't miss out on this epic start to the third season!