When:
March 11, 2004 Register

Speaker: Stephen Ross Director, Financial Services Practice Align IT Group

Session Description:   

                                                          
Due to the elongated down economy and growing competitive landscape, financial services institutions are under intense pressure to cut costs more than ever before. In the new customer economy, online services and the speed at which such services are executed are increasingly becoming key differentiators in the financial services industry. While banks continue to invest in technology, IT budgets are being more closely scrutinized and approval is being granted only to those projects with a demonstrated business value, a proven return on investment, and which lend support to the firm’s overall business strategy. It is The AlignIT Group’s view that three business areas will drive a large percentage of new technology investments in 2004—small business banking, mortgage banking, and wealth management. This presentation will offer in-depth insight into the trends and demands taking shape within each of these critical markets, benefiting financial institutions of all sizes—-from small, community-based banks to global, multi-service conglomerates."

This program is appropriate for senior financial executives with responsibility for IT investments, Retail Marketing, Channel Development, Market Research and Strategy Teams.

Attendance Fee:

$275 per institution plus $50 per telephone line used

About Stephen Ross

Stephen Ross is the Director and co-Founder of The AlignIT Group's Financial Services Practice. As a business strategist and technology advisor for the financial services and technology industries, Mr. Ross brings over 15 years of experience to The AlignIT Group. Throughout his career, Mr. Ross has analyzed business problems and designed technology solutions that helped firms achieve their desired business goals and return on investment. With an extensive knowledge base and industry expertise, he has advised business and information technology decision-makers on the best-fit strategies and technology investments to support their firms' unique business models, giving them an edge over the competition. With a solid foundation of combined industry, technology, entrepreneurial, and relationship-building expertise, Mr. Ross will help clients of The AlignIT Group's Financial Services Practice catapult their businesses over that of the competition.

Prior to joining The AlignIT Group, Mr. Ross worked as an analyst at Meridien Research where his breadth of research coverage included corporate and retail banking, wealth management, securities and investments, and insurance with a focus on client-centric and multi-channel strategies and technologies. In addition, he was involved in consulting projects that helped clients gain a particular understanding of key trends, challenges, and opportunities, impacting the course of their business strategies. Two such studies assessed the defined contribution/401k marketplace and the business and technology requirements necessary to offer advice online; and the impact on small business customers of mergers and acquisitions as well as the resulting information technology integration.

Prior to joining Meridien, Mr. Ross spent a considerable part of his career in banking, conducting in-depth analysis and devising solutions to identify trends and metrics that drove critical business decisions at the executive level. He has performed analyses that have identified retail branch best practices, potential corporate credit exposure risks as part of Y2K, and branches for divestiture. In addition, Mr. Ross took a lead role in designing the former BayBank's first corporate banking relationship management desktop application to identify potential risks and new opportunities associated with business customers.

Mr. Ross has been widely quoted in the financial and technology media including American Banker, US Banker, American Bankers Association, Information Week, Wall Street & Technology, CIO Forum, Peppers & Rogers, and A.M. Best.

Mr. Ross holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.

About Align IT Group

Given the complexity of the current technology environment, as well as time and resource-constraints financial institutions increasingly need the advice of a trusted and unbiased advisor with relevant industry expertise and a direct link to the technology community. Through the effective merger of survey-based primary research, experience-based analysis, and extensive industry knowledge, The AlignIT Group provides insight that helps clients make timely and successful technology decisions to achieve their business goals-better IT purchase decisions...faster.  www.AlignITGroup.com