THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING
The Quintessential Technology Source for Corporate Financial Professionals
CFO Tech Outlook Weekly Brief
Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from CFO Tech Outlook
Felipe is an Angel Investor and Operator currently working on Corporate Strategy for Remitly [NASDAQ: RELY], a high growth Remittance Fintech on a mission to transform lives with trusted financial services that transcend borders. Felipe is also an experienced venture capital investor, currently a part of several VC syndicates and a judge for pitch competition meetings. His investment experience is focused on connecting emerging markets and supporting early entrepreneurs. Felipe Izquierdo built a distinguished career working in strategy for blue-chip companies privately and through Boston Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from Columbia University, which has enhanced his ability to develop and implement high-impact business strategies. Felipe has consulted for both public and private companies, leveraging his experience as an investor to drive growth and value creation across a range of industries. He has successfully applied his expertise in banking, telecommunications, private equity, NGOs, consumer goods, and other sectors, aligning strategic insights with business objectives to deliver sustainable results. In an interview with Financial Services Review, Mr. Felipe Izquierdo, Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy at Remitly, discusses the emerging trends in the world of corporate strategy and finance and shares his insights into effectively navigating them.
First Rate Vantage empowers alternative investment firms with greater visibility into investor portfolios and fund lifecycles. Its modular, white-label software suite streamlines operations across private equity, venture capital, real estate, hedge funds and family offices— helping managers and investors make faster, more confident decisions. A dedicated business line of First Rate, Inc., First Rate Vantage combines decades of WealthTech expertise with modern, modular technology. Its solutions eliminate the inefficiencies of spreadsheets, manual workflows, and siloed systems by creating a single source of truth across investor relations, fundraising, deal flow, research and fund accounting. “Our software suite ensures a single source of truth for alternative investment firms, streamlining all workflows in their day-to-day operations,” says Karthik Thanikachalam, senior tech product manager..
An organization’s financial stability and profitability hinge on its successful debt collection strategies. In their pursuit of running business operations, serving clients, and managing organizational priorities, many companies often find it challenging to collect unpaid dues. First Financial Resources (FFR) serves as a valuable partner in accounts receivable management (ARM) with its trained and certified team of collectors actively engaging in proactive communication with consumers facing debt obligations. Drawing on over 32 years of expertise in debt recovery solutions, FFR offers personalized, customer-centric solutions with compassionate assertiveness. Ensuring regular and clear interaction, FFR collaborates with debtors to identify effective solutions to facilitate payment of their unpaid dues. FFR’s solutions for unpaid dues including pre-collections and skip-tracing services, delivering boutique and locally-focused customer service nationally. “Having recently expanded to national level, we take immense pride in our ability to treat each client with the same level of care as if we were in their neighborhood,” says Terry Merrell, President and COO of First Financial Resources. As a family-owned, contingency-based business, FFR holds a diverse portfolio encompassing over 1,300 businesses with expertise in consumer and commercial work across various industries. The primary challenge for clients is the time constraints in addressing past-due accounts. In the medical industry for instance, recent regulations prevent credit reporting on medical debt until it’s one year old and exceeds $500. This poses additional challenge for clients in initial debt collection and subsequent recovery efforts. To address this, FFR ensures its collectors undergo rigorous training and certification through the American Collectors Association. They receive training to comprehend the debtor’s financial situations and are adept at handling every debt recovery. FFR engages in collaborative efforts to help consumers move forward from their financial obligations.
Large volumes of financial paperwork were placing pressure on the back office of a UK-based care home facility. Manually processing invoices stretched the facility's resources, causing an operational efficiency black hole. Toshiba stepped in and provided its document processing solution and expertise as a lifeline for the facility. The solution automated one of their most resource-intensive tasks—storing, processing and matching invoices—turning it into a simple, straightforward workflow. This story is not a one-off. Accounting and other financial responsibilities today involve much more than monumental math. The very nature of these tasks necessitates managing a vast amount of data contained within an organisation, making financial process automation an excellent path out of cluttered, paper-heavy routines. Toshiba has built this understanding into its cutting-edge data capture and document processing solutions to ease the lives of financial workers. Nicolas Bazetoux, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Europe at Toshiba, says, "Our solutions help companies seamlessly transition from manual to automated processes, giving them tangible benefits—be it as ROI or operational efficiency. Clients can now reinvest time and redirect resources to more value-added tasks.”
Sal Cucchiara, CIO & Head of Wealth and Investment Management Technology, Morgan Stanley
Kurt Nichols, Head of US Early Stage & Venture Credit Solutions & Managing Director, CIBC Innovation Banking
Rebecca Bacon, VP & Head of Financial Institutions, Upgrade, Inc
Miguel Navarro, Innovator, Patented Inventor, and Seasoned Digital Leader - Head of Applied Emerging Technologies, KeyBank
Arthur Korsun, CFA, Director of Investment Management, Northwestern Mutual
Empowering Smarter Financial Decisions
A few years ago, managing investments relied on intuition and manual tracking. Today, innovation has turned it into a dynamic, data-driven experience filled with clarity and confidence. Whether for individuals managing personal wealth or firms overseeing diverse portfolios, the right investment management software has become essential. These platforms simplify complex data, enhance transparency, and empower users to make smarter, more confident decisions. The top investment management software solutions offer real-time analytics, AI-driven insights, and automation that streamline everything from portfolio monitoring to risk assessment. Investors can visualize trends, evaluate performance, and rebalance assets seamlessly from a single intuitive dashboard. By integrating multiple asset classes and data sources, these platforms eliminate the guesswork that once slowed decision-making. What sets leading solutions apart is their ability to learn and adapt. Advanced algorithms analyze market behavior and user preferences to deliver personalized insights and predictive analytics. This intelligent assistance transforms how investors plan and act, turning financial management into a proactive, informed process rather than a reactive one. Security and compliance are equally critical. The best platforms ensure that every transaction, record, and report complies with regulatory standards while protecting sensitive information through advanced encryption and access controls. For investors seeking clarity in a complex world, these tools make managing money smarter, faster, and more intuitive than ever before. In this edition of CFO Tech Outlook, the spotlight is on innovative technologies shaping the future of investment management. This issue explores how smart platforms and advanced analytics are transforming portfolio management, making planning, monitoring, and growth more transparent and agile at every stage. This edition features insights from visionary leaders, including Shaun Taylor, CFO, Americas, Standard Chartered Bank, and Marc Ashworth, Chief Information Security Officer, First Bank. We hope the valuable insights from industry leaders, along with the solutions and services featured in this edition, will help you make informed decisions for your business.
