Can you give us an overview of your role?
I am a Solution Architect within the TCS division that owns TCS BaNCS, the solution suite covering Banking, Capital market and Insurance. My main responsibility is to architect solutions during the sales and initiation phases of transformation programs for Financial Services institutions. I joined BIAN in 2012 and have chaired the Retail Banking working group since 2013.

What prompted you to participate in BIAN?
Firstly, from the TCS side, TCS BaNCS has always embraced SOA and as global player, TCS is committed to contributing and complying to industry standards. SOA, interoperability and industry standards prompted the TCS decision to join and contribute to BIAN. Secondly, from a personal side, my participation was driven by my passion for solution architecture, a genuine belief in and drive for interconnected solutions and ecosystems and for the need to have proper architecture framework and construct to be able to assemble relevant solutions. Furthermore, the BIAN approach and dynamic appeals to me: open, collaborative, the drive for simplification and the variety of culture and viewpoints

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the banking industry in the next 5 years?
Adapting to stay relevant and trusted by customers. This includes the ability to realise a paradigm shift from distributing/operating banking products to transparently facilitating customer projects with financial services. This means evolving from being a stand-alone monolithic banking product provider, to becoming a financial services actor that is part of a value chain ecosystems with partners, such as e.g. telcos, retail consumer goods, fintech, housing, cars.

How would you sum up the future of banking in one word?
Hurricane – approaching, but unclear if it will increase to category 5 and fully reshape the traditional banking landscape, or decrease to category 1 as heavy storm.