Community Spotlight: Zenith proposed SIG co-chairs

For this month’s Community Spotlight feature, we're excited to highlight the efforts and achievements of the Zenith proposed SIG group co-chairs. Peter Smulovics, Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, and FINOS Co-Chair of the Open Source Readiness SIG, Keith O'Donnell, Managing Director at Feynic Technology, and Patrick Downing, Vice President, Identity and Access Management at Morgan Stanley.

Peter has had a long history with FINOS most recently leading the Open Source Readiness SIG, as well as pioneering the launch of the Emerging Technologies SIG. The purpose of the Zenith SIG, as laid out by Peter, would be to explore and promote the adoption of new and innovative technologies in the financial services industry. The proposed goals of the SIG are to:

1. Identify and evaluate emerging technologies that have the potential to transform the sector
   
2. Share best practices, use cases, and insights for the broader community in the form of webinars, podcasts, and articles.
   

The SIG, if approved, would host regular meetings, events, webinars, workshops, as well as other activities to help members stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in emerging technologies. We do encourage all FINOS community members who are interested in emerging technologies to comment and engage in the GitHub proposal for the SIG here.

Emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing are revolutionizing the financial services industry. They are providing new ways to enhance efficiency, improve customer experience, and reduce risk. Creating a special interest group such as this around these technologies can help companies stay on top of the latest developments and collaborate with others to drive innovation.

The group can provide a healthy forum for sharing knowledge and best practices, as well as opportunities for networking and building partnerships. By staying ahead of the curve and leveraging the power of emerging technologies, financial companies and banks can stay competitive and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

While the proposal of the SIG will be presented in front of the board for approval at the end of April, there is still a window of opportunity to express your interest, and champion the SIG, by commenting on the Special Interest Group - Emerging Technologies GitHub issue or by reaching out to either of the co-chairs.

We thank Peter, Keith, and Patrick for your dedication to spearheading this collaborative and innovative initiative, and FINOS is delighted to recognize their remarkable commitment to driving open source collaboration across the industry

For more information on the Emerging Technologies SIG, please visit the relevant resources listed below:

• Read the Emerging Technologies SIG’s Github page
• Watch the FINOS - Zenith SIG Overview