The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation is a think tank and registered charity based in London, and occasionally operating in New York. Founded in 1993, its goals include identifying new areas of business and provoking a debate about subjects of interest to financial services. It has no ideological brief, beyond a belief in open markets.
Activities
The CSFI holds 80-100 round-table meetings a year, bringing together finance practitioners, regulators, academics and members of the professions. Prospect Magazine, in its annual Think Tank Awards for 2012, said: "The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation retains its good reputation for scrutinising regulations and for roundtables". Its work programme is built around topics including:
The post-financial crisis of 2007-2008 debate: how will the regulatory landscape be reformed?
CSFI has published 110 reports on subjects of interest to financial services since its conception, including technology, new products, regulatory issues and risk management.
Perhaps best known is the Banana Skins series which, for more than a decade, has provided a risk barometer of the banking sector and, more recently, insurance and microfinance. Other recent publications which have received notable attention include Combining safety, efficiency and competition in Europe’s post-trade market and Private Equity, Public loss?. The Centre has editorial responsibility for , a magazine published six times per year by the ifs School of Finance, with a global circulation of 18,000. It has published two books: The Credit Crunch Diaries, by David Lascelles and Nick Carn, and Grumpy Old Bankers.
Funding, personnel
The CSFI is supported by contributions from more than 70 corporate sponsors, as well as individual members and other donors. CSFI has a full time staff: Andrew Hilton, Director Jane Fuller, Co-director David Lascelles, Research Fellow Rhiannon Davidge, PA to the Director Leighton Hughes, Programme and FinTech lead Alex Treptow, Content Producer and Video Editor Jack Kunkle, Funding and Publications lead
The Governing Council which sets CSFI's overall direction and reviews its activities, chaired by Sir Malcolm Williamson. Sir Brian Pearse is chairman of the Centre’s trustees. The other council members are:
