1 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:06,529 Sean Aylmer: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. I'm Sean Aylmer. 2 00:00:06,620 --> 00:00:10,360 Sean Aylmer: We've spoken before about open banking. Open banking gives you 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,040 Sean Aylmer: the ability to share your own bank data with third parties, 4 00:00:14,220 --> 00:00:16,950 Sean Aylmer: making it easier to switch products or banks and get 5 00:00:16,950 --> 00:00:20,189 Sean Aylmer: products that are more suited to you. Australia's been doing 6 00:00:20,190 --> 00:00:23,340 Sean Aylmer: a phased introduction of open banking, also known as the 7 00:00:23,340 --> 00:00:27,370 Sean Aylmer: Consumer Data Right, or CDR. It's also created opportunities for 8 00:00:27,370 --> 00:00:30,120 Sean Aylmer: FinTech entrepreneurs to make some waves in the banking sector. 9 00:00:30,190 --> 00:00:33,790 Sean Aylmer: One of those is Jill Berry, the Chief Executive Officer 10 00:00:33,790 --> 00:00:37,850 Sean Aylmer: and Co- founder of Adatree, who recently signed Australia's largest 11 00:00:37,850 --> 00:00:40,890 Sean Aylmer: bank and FinTech partnership with more than 25 banks and 12 00:00:40,890 --> 00:00:44,729 Sean Aylmer: Credit Unions to enter into Consumer Data Right. Jill, welcome 13 00:00:44,729 --> 00:00:45,420 Sean Aylmer: to Fear and Greed. 14 00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:46,920 Jill Berry: Hey, Sean. Thanks for having me. 15 00:00:47,290 --> 00:00:49,560 Sean Aylmer: Can you give me a quick 1-0- 1 on open banking 16 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:50,700 Sean Aylmer: first up, please? 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:56,170 Jill Berry: Yeah. Open banking, it's a regulated data sharing ecosystem where 18 00:00:56,170 --> 00:00:58,560 Jill Berry: the consumer has total control of their data, and you 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,210 Jill Berry: actually own it. So historically, all the transaction data, all 20 00:01:02,210 --> 00:01:04,810 Jill Berry: the account data, everything about you, it would be held 21 00:01:04,810 --> 00:01:06,869 Jill Berry: by other companies, and they thought that they owned it. 22 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,350 Jill Berry: But now this regulation says that it's yours, and you 23 00:01:10,350 --> 00:01:12,750 Jill Berry: can send it to whoever you would like to in 24 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,020 Jill Berry: a really closed ecosystem. So, if you think about it practically, 25 00:01:16,020 --> 00:01:18,819 Jill Berry: if you want to switch an account, even take all of 26 00:01:18,819 --> 00:01:22,610 Jill Berry: your pays and your banking history with you, your bank definitely 27 00:01:22,610 --> 00:01:24,810 Jill Berry: would not share it with a new one. But now, 28 00:01:24,810 --> 00:01:28,410 Jill Berry: with this new regulated ecosystem, if you wanted to share 29 00:01:28,410 --> 00:01:30,840 Jill Berry: all of your details in a few clicks and totally 30 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,959 Jill Berry: securely with a new provider for, say, a new home 31 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:35,840 Jill Berry: loan or switching, you can just do it in a 32 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,759 Jill Berry: few clicks. So, ultimately you can get better services, decreased 33 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,880 Jill Berry: friction, and you can get more choice. 34 00:01:43,190 --> 00:01:46,660 Sean Aylmer: So, for me, when I think about open banking, it's actually about the 35 00:01:46,660 --> 00:01:50,570 Sean Aylmer: ability to switch providers. I think the great advantage of 36 00:01:50,570 --> 00:01:53,640 Sean Aylmer: it is with a couple of clicks, I can actually 37 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,800 Sean Aylmer: get all my information transferred as opposed to going through 38 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:57,740 Sean Aylmer: reams of paperwork. 39 00:01:58,150 --> 00:02:02,309 Jill Berry: That's exactly it. Instead of finding your superannuation, getting letters 40 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:07,000 Jill Berry: from your employer about your salary, downloading statements, downloading PDFs, 41 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,410 Jill Berry: having a stat dec, anything like that, you'd share it 42 00:02:10,410 --> 00:02:13,910 Jill Berry: digitally and in a few clicks. So, it's faster, less work 43 00:02:13,910 --> 00:02:16,810 Jill Berry: for you, but also it's way more secure. So, there's not companies just 44 00:02:18,710 --> 00:02:20,480 Jill Berry: having copies of your data all over. 45 00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:25,460 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So, what's it mean for the bank or the provider? Presumably, they're 46 00:02:25,790 --> 00:02:28,799 Sean Aylmer: going to have to pick up their game somewhat if 47 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:29,521 Sean Aylmer: it's easier for me to compare. 48 00:02:29,521 --> 00:02:33,440 Jill Berry: Absolutely. So, there's two aspects to open banking. So, it's 49 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,359 Jill Berry: essentially like throwing a ball and catching it. So throwing 50 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,760 Jill Berry: a ball, it's like that's the data holders. So, basically, 51 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,060 Jill Berry: the companies that you bank with, or you have your 52 00:02:42,060 --> 00:02:44,930 Jill Berry: energy with, they're considered data holders, so they have to 53 00:02:44,930 --> 00:02:48,790 Jill Berry: make your data sharing available. And then, the companies that 54 00:02:48,790 --> 00:02:52,040 Jill Berry: are essentially catching the ball, receiving the data, they're regulated 55 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,210 Jill Berry: as well. And they have to essentially have connections to 56 00:02:55,210 --> 00:02:57,389 Jill Berry: all the banks. They have to reach a whole lot 57 00:02:57,389 --> 00:03:01,040 Jill Berry: of technical and security requirements because if they're receiving your 58 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,190 Jill Berry: data, ultimately, you want them to be secure as well. 59 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,280 Jill Berry: So, they absolutely have to up their game and view 60 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,739 Jill Berry: it as a competitive advantage, not just a compliance project. 61 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:13,090 Sean Aylmer: Yep. Yeah. 62 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:15,070 Jill Berry: So, there's so many different use cases of what you 63 00:03:15,070 --> 00:03:17,769 Jill Berry: can actually do to receive the data. And it's just 64 00:03:17,850 --> 00:03:23,040 Jill Berry: ultimately about better products and services and more competitive choices for consumers. 65 00:03:25,090 --> 00:03:26,140 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So, where does Adatree fit in this ecosphere? 66 00:03:26,660 --> 00:03:31,710 Jill Berry: Yeah. So, Adatree, we're a B2B enabler. So, my background 67 00:03:31,710 --> 00:03:34,850 Jill Berry: is product development, and I love solving problems for consumers, 68 00:03:34,850 --> 00:03:37,510 Jill Berry: but we actually don't do that here. We like to 69 00:03:37,510 --> 00:03:41,860 Jill Berry: talk to companies that are FinTechs, payment companies, insurers, banks, 70 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,340 Jill Berry: companies who actually have the relationship with the consumers, those 71 00:03:45,340 --> 00:03:48,800 Jill Berry: users. And we do the really hard stuff, the technical, 72 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,320 Jill Berry: the compliance work to connect to all those banks and 73 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,020 Jill Berry: give them access to the data sources. So, they can 74 00:03:56,020 --> 00:03:58,960 Jill Berry: just care about their services and their users, and we do 75 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,930 Jill Berry: all the hard stuff. So, essentially, we handle all the 76 00:04:01,930 --> 00:04:03,870 Jill Berry: connectors. We're a secure pipe for them. 77 00:04:06,010 --> 00:04:09,530 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So, the deal that you signed with more than 25 banks and credit unions to enter the CDR, that's 78 00:04:09,530 --> 00:04:11,570 Sean Aylmer: what that's about. You're kind of doing the backend for 79 00:04:11,570 --> 00:04:12,810 Sean Aylmer: all those organisations? 80 00:04:13,270 --> 00:04:17,099 Jill Berry: Yeah. Absolutely. So, they're leveraging our open banking platform to 81 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:18,220 Jill Berry: test and receive data. 82 00:04:20,130 --> 00:04:22,660 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So, open banking, it's been in the pipeline literally for years, and years, and years, 83 00:04:22,660 --> 00:04:25,210 Sean Aylmer: though it's only really kicked in in the last 12 or 18 months 84 00:04:25,210 --> 00:04:29,089 Sean Aylmer: or so. What's the reaction to it been so far 85 00:04:29,089 --> 00:04:32,900 Sean Aylmer: from both the consumers but also business and the providers side of things. 86 00:04:33,750 --> 00:04:37,969 Jill Berry: Yeah. I think that naturally, people are more interested in 87 00:04:38,339 --> 00:04:42,390 Jill Berry: what's actually happening instead of theory or, of course, reading regulation. 88 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:42,419 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 89 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,710 Jill Berry: So, there's been a number of companies that are accredited 90 00:04:46,770 --> 00:04:50,360 Jill Berry: to receive data. So, that means that they're regulated, and 91 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,540 Jill Berry: they meet a whole lot of stringent requirements. So, they 92 00:04:53,540 --> 00:04:57,350 Jill Berry: have some interesting use cases, whether it's budgeting or opening 93 00:04:57,350 --> 00:05:00,300 Jill Berry: a personal or a home loan. We've launched one about 94 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:04,380 Jill Berry: data for good and about COVID hotspots alerts ourselves. So, 95 00:05:04,380 --> 00:05:06,370 Jill Berry: there's a lot of companies that are getting ready for 96 00:05:06,370 --> 00:05:09,540 Jill Berry: it and preparing for their use cases. So, it requires 97 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:12,210 Jill Berry: a fair amount of preparation because it is regulated. But 98 00:05:12,210 --> 00:05:14,270 Jill Berry: on the other side of it, I think as of 99 00:05:14,270 --> 00:05:17,540 Jill Berry: a few days ago, there was about 91 banks, credit 100 00:05:17,540 --> 00:05:21,050 Jill Berry: unions, and other providers actually sharing their data. So, there's 101 00:05:21,050 --> 00:05:25,690 Jill Berry: about 95% addressable market in companies that are making their 102 00:05:25,690 --> 00:05:28,679 Jill Berry: data sharing available. Now they don't just share the data, 103 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,969 Jill Berry: it's only when a customer consents to share their data. 104 00:05:32,330 --> 00:05:34,839 Sean Aylmer: Right. Stay with me, Jill. We'll be back in a 105 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:34,989 Sean Aylmer: minute. 106 00:05:40,220 --> 00:05:43,210 Sean Aylmer: My guest today is Jill Berry, the Chief Executive Officer and Co- 107 00:05:43,210 --> 00:05:52,779 Sean Aylmer: founder of Adatree. Have customers been jumping on board? It makes sense to me, but I also can understand that some people would have privacy concerns about it. 108 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,750 Jill Berry: Yeah. We actually get that all the time. So, ultimately 109 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,310 Jill Berry: CDR is a tool for consumers and the way that 110 00:06:01,310 --> 00:06:04,770 Jill Berry: their... And consumers share their data right now because they 111 00:06:04,770 --> 00:06:07,150 Jill Berry: just care about having a problem solved or receiving a 112 00:06:07,150 --> 00:06:10,969 Jill Berry: benefit. Often, right now, they do it through screen scraping, 113 00:06:10,970 --> 00:06:15,779 Jill Berry: which is an unregulated password- sharing data mechanism. That's gone 114 00:06:15,779 --> 00:06:18,680 Jill Berry: away in the UK. That's definitely, I'm sure it will 115 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,860 Jill Berry: go away in Australia soon, but that's what consumers use 116 00:06:21,860 --> 00:06:26,050 Jill Berry: right now. Or even upload their PDFs or just manual 117 00:06:26,050 --> 00:06:30,549 Jill Berry: statements. So, we're definitely finding a higher consent rate with 118 00:06:30,550 --> 00:06:33,210 Jill Berry: open banking, but there's only a few use cases that 119 00:06:33,210 --> 00:06:36,160 Jill Berry: are live, so we're in the early adopter stage. But 120 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,919 Jill Berry: the same way that, remember when debit cards came out 121 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,760 Jill Berry: with contact lists, and you're like, oh, this is weird. 122 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,190 Jill Berry: I don't have to enter my pin. Oh, there's no 123 00:06:45,190 --> 00:06:48,669 Jill Berry: signing. And now we can't even imagine life without it because it's 124 00:06:48,670 --> 00:06:51,260 Jill Berry: so much easier with tap and go. I think that that's where 125 00:06:51,260 --> 00:06:54,099 Jill Berry: CDR is actually going. We're in that initial stage when 126 00:06:54,100 --> 00:06:56,210 Jill Berry: you're like, oh, here's a tool, it's actually much better 127 00:06:56,210 --> 00:06:58,150 Jill Berry: than what we have right now, but I'm kind of 128 00:06:58,150 --> 00:06:59,360 Jill Berry: questioning how it works. 129 00:06:59,490 --> 00:07:02,440 Sean Aylmer: Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Okay. So, what are the eventual 130 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:03,240 Sean Aylmer: use cases do you think for CDR? 131 00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:07,310 Jill Berry: So, I think that there's the natural ones in banking 132 00:07:07,310 --> 00:07:10,060 Jill Berry: are about making it much easier for you to get 133 00:07:10,060 --> 00:07:14,170 Jill Berry: access to new loans and definitely refinance. Those are the 134 00:07:14,170 --> 00:07:17,830 Jill Berry: more simple, straightforward ones. But there is a lot of 135 00:07:17,830 --> 00:07:22,239 Jill Berry: really interesting ones about switching and making it proactive. So, 136 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,040 Jill Berry: I get really excited about those. So, it's not just banking, 137 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,809 Jill Berry: but it's about how can you look at your superannuation, 138 00:07:27,860 --> 00:07:30,780 Jill Berry: all of your insurance policies as well, because normally if 139 00:07:30,790 --> 00:07:34,540 Jill Berry: you are looking for a new insurance policy right now, 140 00:07:34,610 --> 00:07:36,540 Jill Berry: it probably has to do with a life event. Oh, 141 00:07:36,540 --> 00:07:38,410 Jill Berry: maybe you just bought a dog. Maybe you just bought 142 00:07:38,410 --> 00:07:40,790 Jill Berry: a house. Maybe you're going on around the world trips, 143 00:07:40,790 --> 00:07:44,040 Jill Berry: you're looking for a policy. You kind of set it 144 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,660 Jill Berry: and forget it. So, it's actually quite reactive. You might 145 00:07:46,660 --> 00:07:49,780 Jill Berry: go looking for it at a certain time, but with open banking, 146 00:07:49,780 --> 00:07:52,660 Jill Berry: you can share your data on an ongoing basis, and 147 00:07:52,660 --> 00:07:55,420 Jill Berry: a data recipient can actually just be proactive in the 148 00:07:55,420 --> 00:07:58,150 Jill Berry: background for you and just say, " Hey Sean, I know 149 00:07:58,150 --> 00:08:00,700 Jill Berry: that you're with X company right now. Here's a better 150 00:08:00,700 --> 00:08:03,010 Jill Berry: offer right now. In a few clicks, if you consent, 151 00:08:03,330 --> 00:08:06,620 Jill Berry: we'll open a new account for you over here, facilitate 152 00:08:06,660 --> 00:08:09,760 Jill Berry: the switching of funds." So, it's really switching as a service. 153 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,870 Jill Berry: I think it's taking that life admin out because how 154 00:08:12,870 --> 00:08:16,320 Jill Berry: many times have people opened an account at the highest rate? 155 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,220 Jill Berry: And then a few months later they find out that 156 00:08:18,220 --> 00:08:21,020 Jill Berry: it's actually at a terrible rate. So, unless you're really looking, 157 00:08:21,150 --> 00:08:24,270 Jill Berry: then you're probably not getting the best rate in market. So, 158 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:28,210 Jill Berry: those type of things the CDR can actually facilitate. I 159 00:08:28,210 --> 00:08:31,170 Jill Berry: think that insurance and loyalty are actually a really big 160 00:08:31,170 --> 00:08:32,391 Jill Berry: opportunity as well. 161 00:08:32,391 --> 00:08:37,420 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So, Jill, native of Niagara Falls, how did you 162 00:08:37,420 --> 00:08:38,260 Sean Aylmer: end up founding Adatree? 163 00:08:39,250 --> 00:08:42,980 Jill Berry: Yeah. So, it definitely wasn't my plan at all to 164 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:45,740 Jill Berry: start a company, but I think it was just right time, 165 00:08:45,740 --> 00:08:50,179 Jill Berry: right team, and just an incredible opportunity. So, my background 166 00:08:50,179 --> 00:08:53,709 Jill Berry: is product development. I've helped build two new banks in Australia, 167 00:08:54,050 --> 00:08:58,679 Jill Berry: and I like to build regulated products at smaller banks. So, 168 00:08:58,890 --> 00:09:02,150 Jill Berry: with that, I definitely love a new challenge, solving problems 169 00:09:02,150 --> 00:09:05,960 Jill Berry: and more importantly, executing on it and working with software engineers. So, 170 00:09:06,010 --> 00:09:08,950 Jill Berry: we are at Volt Bank. I was talking with my co- 171 00:09:08,950 --> 00:09:13,140 Jill Berry: founder Shane. We are looking at this new open banking legislation. 172 00:09:13,140 --> 00:09:15,179 Jill Berry: We're like, wow, this is amazing of what it can 173 00:09:15,179 --> 00:09:20,300 Jill Berry: mean for consumers, especially economy- wide, not just banking. And 174 00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:23,650 Jill Berry: the technical standards were incredibly difficult. It's kind of similar 175 00:09:23,650 --> 00:09:24,570 Jill Berry: to building a bank. 176 00:09:24,910 --> 00:09:24,939 Sean Aylmer: Yep. 177 00:09:25,059 --> 00:09:27,570 Jill Berry: And there was no solution out there. So we're like, 178 00:09:27,750 --> 00:09:30,850 Jill Berry: there's such huge benefits, but if there's no easy solution 179 00:09:30,850 --> 00:09:33,840 Jill Berry: out there, then there won't be much adoption. So, we 180 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:39,030 Jill Berry: just decided to essentially quit and found Adatree because we're so committed to the CDR, 181 00:09:39,030 --> 00:09:40,380 Jill Berry: and we wanted to make it really easy. 182 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,020 Sean Aylmer: Okay. Something else. You've spoken a lot about the fact 183 00:09:43,020 --> 00:09:46,080 Sean Aylmer: that more women are needed in the FinTech industry. Is 184 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:46,591 Sean Aylmer: it getting any better? 185 00:09:46,591 --> 00:09:51,130 Jill Berry: The FinTech census has shown that there is a definite 186 00:09:51,130 --> 00:09:57,099 Jill Berry: increase in female founders and female leadership in fintechs. But 187 00:09:57,250 --> 00:09:59,980 Jill Berry: I think that it is still pretty rare to find 188 00:09:59,980 --> 00:10:03,910 Jill Berry: female founders or female leaders there. Even that they have 189 00:10:03,910 --> 00:10:07,750 Jill Berry: to have female leadership awards that just shows that it's 190 00:10:07,750 --> 00:10:10,470 Jill Berry: just such a minority in there. So, it's definitely getting 191 00:10:10,470 --> 00:10:15,480 Jill Berry: better, especially with females finding investment, but it's still nowhere equal 192 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:16,390 Jill Berry: the way that it should it be. 193 00:10:16,830 --> 00:10:19,380 Sean Aylmer: I've got to ask, as I read this in the research for 194 00:10:19,380 --> 00:10:22,370 Sean Aylmer: this discussion, did you really receive the advice to hire a male CEO? 195 00:10:23,002 --> 00:10:25,790 Jill Berry: It was definitely suggested to me. Yes. 196 00:10:26,370 --> 00:10:29,221 Sean Aylmer: Oh. Ouch. What did you say? What did you say? 197 00:10:29,221 --> 00:10:33,780 Jill Berry: I said, "I think I'm doing a pretty good job. I'll back myself, but thank you." 198 00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:36,990 Sean Aylmer: Fair enough. Very polite. Jill, thank you for talking to 199 00:10:36,990 --> 00:10:37,349 Sean Aylmer: Fear and Greed. 200 00:10:38,429 --> 00:10:39,309 Jill Berry: Thanks for having me, Sean. 201 00:10:39,809 --> 00:10:42,550 Sean Aylmer: That was Jill Berry, Chief Executive Officer and Co- founder 202 00:10:42,550 --> 00:10:45,459 Sean Aylmer: of Adatree. This is the Fear and Greed daily interview. 203 00:10:45,460 --> 00:10:47,650 Sean Aylmer: Join me every morning for the full Fear and Greed 204 00:10:47,650 --> 00:10:50,229 Sean Aylmer: podcast with all the business news you need to know. 205 00:10:50,540 --> 00:10:52,180 Sean Aylmer: I'm Sean Aylmer. Enjoy your day.