CEOInterviews.AIUn Café con Álvaro Perera (CFO de Allfunds)

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Interviewer0:10

Hello, welcome to a new edition of a coffee with. Today we are with Álvaro Perera, CFO of Allfunds Group. Thank you very much Álvaro for being with us.

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Álvaro Perera0:20

Thank you very much for inviting me.

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Interviewer0:22

Would you like me to start by briefly summarizing your professional career? You started your career in the world of banking, specifically in the transactions area. Then you held several management positions at Banco Santander in the UK and Spain. And for several years at Allfunds, where you serve as CFO. I would like to start with some personal questions. Where would it be easier to find you today? In a ball pit, in a nightclub in Madrid, on the way to a final of our favorite team, or in one of the popular races held every weekend in Madrid?

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Álvaro Perera1:03

Well, I don't need lifelines. The correct answer is we will find each other on the way to a final to see Madrid win, without a doubt.

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Interviewer1:13

Great. And if I had asked you this question 15 years ago?

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Álvaro Perera1:15

I would take a leap and say in a nightclub in Madrid, for vacations.

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Interviewer1:21

What do you prefer, beach or mountain?

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Álvaro Perera1:23

Mountain in ski season, beach in summer. Easy answer, textbook.

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Interviewer1:29

Moving to a more professional level, Allfunds is one of the leading companies in the wealthtech sector. You connect clients of global and local banks with the main asset managers in the world. That is a summary.

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Álvaro Perera1:46

Yes, Allfunds. What we have created is an efficient and secure ecosystem that hosts the largest number of fund managers and financial institutions of all sizes, from local banks to large multinational corporations. There are many ingredients that have contributed not only to bringing Allfunds to where it is today but also to maintaining it, and we believe it is the recipe to take us even further. I think of things like focus on the client, commitment to talent, and without a doubt, innovation.

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Interviewer2:30

So, to continue, what is the strategy you are following or will follow to maintain this leadership position in a sector like wealthtech?

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Álvaro Perera2:32

Continuously innovating, as you said. We have to maintain that level of innovation and listen to our clients. My boss likes to say something that is very true: that we don't come up with fabulous ideas sitting in a room. Those ideas come from listening to our clients, the fund managers, the financial institutions. And thanks to that, we innovate to provide solutions to improve their quality of life, improve the client experience. And that is what we will continue to do.

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Interviewer3:13

The mentioned connection between clients and fund managers, you surely make it using technology intensively. And speaking of technology and the so-called artificial intelligence, how do you think this artificial intelligence will help you continue developing and growing your business?

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Álvaro Perera3:33

Well, artificial intelligence is a technology that has grown exponentially in recent years and will undoubtedly continue to do so. That said, the level of adoption is very disparate. At a more generic level, it is being adopted in everything related to replacing repetitive tasks, reducing the risk of human error, and improving operational efficiency. In addition, this type of technology, in our case, allows us to analyze and exploit large datasets, which ultimately helps us improve decision-making and, ultimately, improve the client experience, improve client service.

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Interviewer4:17

As CFO of a global group, a global financial group with presence in more than 60 countries, or as many as you mentioned earlier, how do you see your role in the future?

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Álvaro Perera4:26

I see two very clear challenges: integration of sustainability aspects and, as we were just saying, the adoption of this type of technology will be critical.

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Interviewer4:47

The CFO agglomerates many functions around him: accounting, reporting, regulation, solvency. How do you manage on a day-to-day basis such a diverse group of people, knowledge, and profiles?

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Álvaro Perera4:55

Many years ago I was taught that the key to success is not to surround yourself with people who are much better than you at what they do. And I am very lucky to have a great team at Allfunds. It is a very heterogeneous team, but at the same time they share a series of qualities or characteristics that make them not only very good at what they do but also work very well as a team.

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Interviewer5:23

How do you manage a team like that?

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Álvaro Perera5:26

You manage it with good communication, with empathy, and by making them participants in the common project or projects.

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Interviewer5:34

Having been 7 years in the world we are in today, Big4 world, knowing the average age of our professionals, what advice would you give to the Álvaro Perera of 15 years ago?

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Álvaro Perera5:45

Well, I would tell him to buy a lot of bitcoins. But jokes aside, the same thing I would tell your young men and women: continue striving, don't be afraid of change. In the end, we live in a very changing world, and behind every change there is an opportunity. And above all, enjoy what they do.

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Interviewer6:10

Well, I think that is very good advice, Álvaro. Thank you very much for your time and for sharing your experience with us.

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Álvaro Perera6:15

Thank you, thank you for inviting me. And we look forward to seeing you in the next session of a coffee with.