Alterna Savings CEO: why I attend Money20/20

Rob Paterson, CEO of Alterna, discusses how Money20/20 is a chance to network and take a look at the bigger picture.

In an interview for an upcoming feature with FinTech Magazine, Rob Paterson, CEO of Canadian Credit Union and digital bank Alterna, was keen to explain why he attends Money20/20 as he looks forward to attending the Europe iteration in Amsterdam this June.

Paterson formed a relationship with Corey Gross, CEO of receipt management platform Sensibill, through Money20/20 and Finovate conferences, and the two companies now enjoy a fruitful partnership. “We view Corey as a real Canadian success story,” says Paterson.

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We asked him how Money20/20 has helped his business form such important partnerships, and why he makes the effort to attend. “The beauty of Money20/20 is that you get, in a few days, the ability to stretch your mind and see where the different thought leaders from around the world are taking the banking industry. You really get to take time out from your day-to-day job to expand your mind and expand your horizon about what is possible and what the future can be,” he says.

Although Paterson operates a very tech-savvy organisation, he says it’s the opportunity to network face to face offered by Money20/20 that’s invaluable. “You get to meet the principals of the businesses and check whether the cultures match our Alterna culture. You get to hear from great futurists and you get to spend time with them – you can talk to them and engage with them, you can tell them what you’re trying to do, and get their thoughts on what you’re doing.”

Paterson encourages organisations to attend not just for their leaders to innovate and network, but to inspire and motivate employees. “I always take a couple of my team with me; it accelerates our thinking. We’re able to sit down and plot out the enhancements to our digital journey for the next year. It really brings up the level of excitement again. It’s so easy to get bogged down day to day and put your head in the sand, but we’re able to take that excitement back to the company when we return.”