FinTech Draws High Achievers

Former Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), Maria T Vullo (pictured below), has joined the FinTech Innovation Lab New York as a Regulator-in-Residence.

FinTech Innovation helps early—and growth—stage enterprise tech companies accelerate product and business development through engagement with top financial services and venture capital executives.  In her three years as superintendent of DFS, Ms. Vullo was responsible for the regulation and supervision of insurance and banking in New York. She prioritized cybersecurity, requiring New York banks and insurance companies to more thoroughly protect themselves and consumers, among other accomplishments. At FinTech, during the 12-week program which launched April 3, she will provide strategic counseling and mentorship to participating enterprise tech companies as well as advise them how to consider regulators’ priorities when collaborating with leading banking and insurance institutions. “Under Maria Vullo’s leadership, New York State has been at the cutting edge of regulation, most notably with her landmark cybersecurity regulation that serves as a model for the nation,” said Maria Gotsch, co-founder of the FinTech Innovation Lab New York and President and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City. “Her deep understanding of the regulatory landscape and mindset will be invaluable as this year’s class works closely with senior executives from financial services to accelerate the adoption of new technologies.”

David Treat, a managing director in Accenture’s Financial Services practice and co-head of the Fintech Innovation Lab New York, said, “Having a clear line of sight on the regulatory considerations for fintech and other emerging technologies is critical for startups and established financial institutions alike.” … Speaking of achievers…here are some insurance professionals who have made it over a high bar. The CAS Institute (iCAS), a subsidiary of the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) offering credentials and educational opportunities for professionals working in highly specialized quantitative practice areas, today honored those who received the Certified Specialist in Predictive Analytics (CSPA) credential within the last 12 months. This recognition occurred during the 2019 CAS Ratemaking, Product and Modeling (RPM) Seminar in Boston. The CSPA credential “provides evidence of practical knowledge in applied predictive analytics and data science as used in
data-intensive industry sectors”. Since its launch, more than 250 predictive analytics professionals have been awarded the CSPA credential in recognition of their competence as experienced practitioners in the field. Four of the recipients honored today were also the first to qualify for the CSPA through the examination process: “As a result of pursuing the CSPA designation, I went from being someone who knew R at a conceptual level to someone who uses R to develop solutions to challenges that are common in today’s data-rich environment,” said Dominique Yarnell, FCAS, CSPA, with Everest Re Group, Ltd. “I recommend the CSPA designation to anyone looking to stay current with data science as it relates to the insurance industry.” “Since the insurance industry is highly regulated, the way that the predictive analytics is conducted is – and must be – extra cautious and different in a sense. The CAS Institute has established the value of ethics and professionalism in its members’ daily conduct – this is crucial and what separates members from CAS and The CAS Institute from others,” stated Sang Suk Cho, FCAS, CSPA, from ISO/Verisk. More information about the CSPA education program can be found on the iCAS website: https://thecasinstitute.org .