Whilst FMLS was celebrating its 10th anniversary year, Saxo Bank was marking its 30th year in operation. A regular at FMLS, Charles White-Thomson 'Charlie', the CEO of Saxo Markets UK, is a man that oozes old-school English charm. In fact, if the Broccoli family were looking to cast the next James Bond from someone in the retail FX arena, then they should look no further than Charlie, who like Bond, is a former officer in the British Army.
In the interview, my first of the conference, so you'll excuse the rawness in production, Charlie was asked about the secret to Saxo Bank's longevity in the industry. "Saxo started as a broker and then moved quickly to a fintech," he explained.
"Since then it's about single platforms; it's about technology Stacks; it's about providing access to 50,000 financial instruments for our clients both retail and institutional."
Summing up the success of Saxo, the industry veteran stated assertively: "I think that the firm has stuck to their knitting, what they've done, they do well, and invested it."
After discussing the importance of having the CEO and Founder still involved, talk then moved on to the recent sponsorship deal Saxo signed with the leading English Rugby Union team, Harlequins. Charlie spoke of the similarities between the two brands, particularly in the innovative use of technology and risk management, describing it as a "real esprit de corps" between the two.
When pushed on what the ROI was for Saxo in its sponsorship of Harlequins, the former Managing Director of Credit Suisse replied: "For me, it's brand. I would like more people to know about Saxo in the United Kingdom." He continued: "So, ROI would be new trading clients, its brand, and it's about entertainment too."
Charlie talked of the "personal chemistry" he had with the Harlequins CEO and when asked why Saxo wasn't going for more high-profile football sponsorships, he spoke of the Saxo approach "to basically double down on the things we care about." However, when it came to football, Charlie delivered the Bond-Esque line: "never say never."
The conversation moved to Charlie's own career and the changes in the industry, good and bad, during this time. He talked passionately about the emergence of nanny finance, our dependency on cheap money and the importance of getting fatherly advice.
Charlie was critical of central bank policies over the last decade, "we are in a new paradigm," he said before delivering some sound, fatherly advice of his own on how to operate in this new paradigm: "manage your risk," he said. And, with that, the interview was over and Charlie disappeared into the FMLS crowd for another year.
