Why we launched the FS Disruptor Forum

In the last two years, we have seen nothing but disruption in our lives, and so it’s tempting to think of it as a negative concept. But from social and gender inequity to unsustainable business practices and outdated service models – there are elements of our industry that are ripe to be turned on their head by disruption.

So instead, we’re framing disruption (and the people that bring it about) as a positive process which is essential to driving our financial systems forward and ultimately change them for the better.

In the last two decades, Apex Group has grown from a mid-tier fund administrator to a global financial services provider employing over 9,000 people and servicing $2.5trn of assets – but far from becoming part of the establishment, we’re still hungry for change and committed to being at the forefront of innovation and evolution in all areas of financial services.

“We wanted ‘a think tank for change’,” says Rosie Guest, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Apex Group. “A medium to empower and inspire financial services leaders, enabling decision-makers to share their challenges and solutions, and fostering an environment of collaboration for a more sustainable and agile future for the sector. So we created it.”

We have launched the Financial Services (“FS”) Disruptor Forum powered by Apex Group. Conceptualised and driven by us, the FS Disruptor Forum brings together leading industry champions of change to deliver a series of exclusive interactive events, expert panel discussions, and workshops.

These platforms are designed to help catalyse positive change in the industry and engage with wider societal subjects and trends (not just technological) which are driving innovation in the financial services sector now and in the future. “By bringing together diversity of thought to engage, challenge and collaborate with one another, we can bring about the changes our industry needs; faster,” adds Guest.

The agenda of the FS Disruptor Forum has been designed by disruptive leaders across the sector, for the sector. In the spirit of the initiative, our diverse Forum Steering Committee is comprised of some of the sector’s rising stars and leading lights, with representatives from some of the most exciting global financial services brands, both incumbent and challengers, including the Bank of England, Starling Bank, Barclays, Canada Life, Clifford Chance, CMS, Coutts, and Standard Chartered Bank.

This announcement is the latest in a series of proactive initiatives by Apex, cementing our own role as a disruptor for positive change in the financial systems, societies, and environments in which we operate, including becoming the first financial services firm to offset its lifetime carbon emissions, inking sustainability partnerships with Cricket West Indies and Eden Reforestation Projects, as well as the launch of its own Women’s Accelerator Program to drive equity for female progression in financial services.

Did you miss our first think tank session in the FS Disruptor Forum? Make sure you register here to be the first to hear about the next virtual event! Join the group of industry leaders challenging the way we do things to drive innovation and positive change.