[ T H O U G H T L E A D E R S H I P | E U R O N E X T ]
No end in sight when it comes to innovation
Euronext is matching its pace of growth with a focus on innovation across its businesses . After a year as chief operating officer for the exchange operator , Georges Lauchard , talks to The TRADE about the Group ’ s approach to technology , scalability and its services in an ever-changing regulatory landscape .
It has been just over a year since you joined Euronext as COO – what has been your approach to innovation over that period ? It comes down to the culture of Euronext , and that is the part that I find really fascinating . I came from a different kind of organisation , but I love that this company is focused on innovation , creating a culture that is dynamic , and constantly rethinking how it operates going forward .
There has been a real transition from a few years ago to where we are now , becoming the number one exchange in Europe . Therefore , the demand from a scalability perspective is completely different , and takes the operating model conversation to a whole new level . The company has an appetite for change . It is driven by the fact that it has grown so much , and has continuously adapted in support of this . It is ever evolving , and there ’ s no end in sight for innovation ! When you have the business , technology , and operations teams working together , you get the best outcome in terms of what matters to the client and the firm . This mindset is very precious .
What technologies do you see as the most exciting in the exchange technology space ? The cloud stands out to me . The whole point of that technology is that it provides scalability and agility . It allows us to consider the ever changing and evolving needs of our clients and businesses , and to adapt more quickly . Our cloud-first strategy is crucial as we become more nimble and move towards more data usage .
In terms of interacting with our clients and focusing on the customer journey , digitisation is a major component . Here , we are talking about transforming how we interact with our clients and their customer experience . You can achieve this when you digitalise the way the process should be , as opposed to the way it is . There ’ s also the application of data science ,
machine learning , and natural language processing ( NLP ). These elements then provide a whole different capacity in delivering your product to your client .
How do you ensure your innovation and technology investments match the pace of your growth through M & A ? We are a financial infrastructure and we want to be the number one in Europe . Technology is a key component of this , and we are constantly investing . We have a strategy called “ Let ’ s Grow Together 2022 ”, and recently completed a number of the investments and targets in advance of that plan . There is a client centricity , customer journey , digitisation , operational excellence component that has been crucial to this strategy .
36 // TheTRADE // Spring 2021