Hemal Thakore is an EMEA Credit and Collections Analyst at Equinix from the UK. He has an MBA from Haroun Education Ventures and enjoys multi-disciplinary learning. His professional background is mainly within the credit and accounts receivable.
“From the Payments Specialisation, I learned about the ways of making digital finance accessible to the unbanked.”
Hemal Thakore, EMEA Credit and Collections Analyst at Equinix
CFTE: What motivated you to learn more about Fintech and Digital Finance Payments?
Hemal: Fintech and the emergence of blockchain technology will have a big impact on financial services and banking. I enrolled with CFTE to learn from experts about the way the technology has evolved and comprehend the implications for regulations. In the last 10 years, $200B has been invested in Fintech startups. For instance, Alibaba launched the largest money market fund in the world, Goldman Sachs developed its own digital bank and Stripe became bigger than 99% of the banks. There are multiple concepts that fall under the domain of Fintech, from Artificial Intelligence to robo-advisors and Blockchain to virtual banks.
CFTE: What were your main takeaways from the Payments in Digital Finance course?
Hemal: From the Payments specialisation, I learned about the ways of making digital finance accessible to the unbanked. I also gained some valuable insights into the developments of alternative forms of payment and central bank digital currency. Prior to the course, I was not fully aware of the regulatory initiatives across the regions that enable a payment initiation market.
CFTE: What did you enjoy the most from the course?
Hemal: I enjoyed learning from various fintech leaders at different organisations who were able to explain how these fintech developments have changed the ways in which they are operating. The course was thorough, and I benefited from the additional readings and resources.
CFTE: If you could describe yourself using less than 3 words, what would they be?
Hemal: Detail Oriented and curious to learn.
