iGTB Oxford School Celebrates 10 Years of Transaction Banking Education

 Intellect Global Transaction Banking (iGTB), the transaction banking arm of Intellect Design Arena, held its 10th Jubilee edition of iGTB Oxford School of Transaction Banking, attracting leading financial institutions from around the globe. This two-and-a-half-day immersive learning experience was designed to establish the school as a pinnacle of thought leadership in transaction banking, helping executives develop a winning strategy and strengthen their client franchise. The event, held from 15th May to 17th May 2024, marked a significant milestone, continuing its tradition of fostering thought leadership and operational excellence in transaction banking.

This year’s exclusive immersive learning experience, which started in Oxford and culminated at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London, attracted over 40 participants and 20 distinguished speakers from six continents. The assembly underscored the global influence and outreach of the iGTB Oxford School, solidifying its status as a central hub for significant industry advancement.

The comprehensive curriculum, curated by industry leaders Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, Programme Director, iGTB Oxford School of Transaction Banking, and CEO, The Roosevelt Group and Andrew England, Curriculum Director of the School, Board Member of Intellect, and Head of Strategy at iGTB, is aimed to educate and inspire innovative thinking and strategic foresight among banking leaders. This High Impact Executive Learning program commenced with an inspiring keynote session on ‘Design Thinking – First Principles Based Approach’ delivered by Arun Jain, Chairman & Managing Director, Intellect Design Arena Ltd, setting the program’s momentum.

“Global transaction banking has long been described as a crown jewel because of its steady profit contribution even in the worst economic times,” commented Manish Maakan, CEO of iGTB. “As a business generating industry-wide revenues of over US$500 billion, the stakes are high for getting it right and protecting this valuable franchise – and that is why knowledge is critical.”

Since its inception a decade ago, the iGTB Oxford School of Transaction Banking has been dedicated to increasing knowledge on successfully running a transaction-banking function—from strategy formulation to governance, organisation, and implementation of the right products and services. Today, the School continues to emphasise on the importance of continuous learning and adaptation to dynamic market conditions, reflecting iGTB’s belief that relevance in the industry requires constant evolution.

“While some principles will always apply,” said Andrew England, Director & Head of Strategy, iGTB, “products, market demands, and technology are constantly changing, so banking executives have to stay ahead of the curve.” This statement reinforces the school’s role as an epicentre for cutting-edge research and dialogue in transaction banking.

Over the past decade, the iGTB Oxford School has become the go-to educational event for thought leadership, partnership, and supporting banks through rapidly changing markets. With over 300 alumni and a net promoter score of 100% at this year’s event, the School introduced an advanced programme designed to help transaction banking executives thrive in a complex and fast-moving landscape. This year’s curriculum extended to include critical elements of corporate banking, “where business and technology themes intertwine.”

The core curriculum for this year’s 10th Jubilee programme, covering the three stages of the transaction banking lifecycle (inception & growth, maturity, and innovation/disruption), has been organised into four themes:

• Growing the Transaction Banking Business
• Managing Business at Scale
• Managing the Future
• Building Transaction Banking Technology

“Knowledge is the bedrock of thought leadership,” says Manish Maakan, CEO, iGTB. “And this learning forum not only aggregates the best knowledge in the transaction banking arena globally but also cultivates an environment where industry leaders can collaboratively shape the future of the industry.”

The programme was designed as a highly participatory executive-level learning event. Participants heard from seasoned practitioners of Corporate Banking who had achieved important success in major global and regional financial institutions. Their practical insights were punctuated by peer-to-peer learning exercises, enabling participants to grasp a deep understanding of how other people had addressed many common challenges.