Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through the Finanser (www.thefinanser.com) and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club, which he founded in 2004. The Financial Services Club is a network for financial professionals, and focuses on the future of financial services through the delivery of research, analysis, commentary and debate and has regular meetings in London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Vienna. He is the author of ten books covering everything from European regulations in banking through the credit crisis to the future of banking. He is also Chief Executive of Balatro Ltd, a research company, and a co-founder of the website Shaping Tomorrow, as well as a regular commentator on BBC News, Sky News and Bloomberg about banking issues.He is a Judge on many awards programs including the Card Awards and the Asian Banker’s Retail Excellence Awards, as well as having worked closely with leading banks such as HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Citibank and Société Générale and the World Economic Forum.Chris is known for regular speaking and keynote presentations at leading industry forums. Through these keynotes, he has presented alongside many other leading world figures including Gary Hamel, Michael Porter, Richard Branson, Lou Gerstner, Meg Whitman and Bill Gates. He is a Judge with many Industry Awards programs, as well as a contributor to the World Economic Forum.Prior to founding Balatro, Chris was Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for Unisys Global Financial Services and Strategy Director with NCR Financial Services. These roles sparked Chris’s specialization in the future of financial services after he created the Global Future Forum in Unisys and the Knowledge Lab in NCR. He studied at Loughborough University in the UK, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Sciences alongside a Diploma in Industrial Studies. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Services, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a Chartered Insurance Practitioner.More can be discovered about Chris Skinner here: http://thefinanser.co.uk/fsclub/chris-skinner/“Chris is perhaps the first writer I know who successfully captures the pulse of the financial services industry not from a European or American, but from a truly global perspective.” Emmanuel Daniel, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, the Asian Banker“I am glad to be able to thoroughly endorse him as a person who has both the intellectual acumen, as well as the drive and dedication to his industry, which is so sadly rare in the business world today.” Steve Edwards MBE, Head of Fraud for eBay Europe “Chris Skinner is simply one of the most brilliant minds in banking.” Reader’s comment, the Financial Brand