A focus on technology and research with an eye on AI is a good way to become CEO of a large European asset manager.
Santander Asset Management in February 2018 appointed Mariano Belinky as new CEO.
Belinky until February was the Managing Partner of Santander InnoVentures, which the bank set up in London as a $100 million fund in July 2014 to get closer to the wave of disruptive innovation in the FinTech space. The aim is to support the digital revolution to ensure clients around the world benefit from the latest know-how and innovations across the Banking Group’s geographies. The fund is part of Santander Group’s broader innovation agenda, in which the company helps FinTech companies grow from a very early to a more mature stage.
In 2017, InnoVentures invested in AI startups Personetics Technologies (creates “chatbots” for customer service questions – offices in NY, London and Tel Aviv) and Gridspace (creates technology banks can use to monitor call center conversations – headquartered in San Francisco).
The AI focus at InnoVentures, along with prior experiences at McKinsey (associate principal), Columbia Business School (Research Associate) and Bridgewater (research technology associate), landed Belinky the CEO role in an environment where AI and big data are becoming ever more important for banks and asset managers.
Good news:
– for CEOs with AI interests and teams around them that make use of AI for growth
– EC members with AI experience or projects that help them grow AI & their roles
– AI experts with aspirations to assist CEOs or become CEOs
Let the games begin.
