<a href="https://quant.network/perspectives/adaptable-working/">This article was first published on the Quant website on 20 November 2023 &gt;</a>

As financial institutions and large technology firms the world over struggle with the issue of whether and how to get their staff back to the office, Quant has rethought the purpose of its office space with our values – particularly trust, adaptability, and respect – front of mind, writes Phil Ashton, our Chief HR Officer.

​The pandemic is thankfully now behind us. Yet, the major conversation around working patterns that it forced onto the table lingers, with firms of all sizes grappling with questions around the benefits of working remotely versus in-office collaboration.

​Some organisations have issued directives about returning to the office full-time or made the decision to revert to a set number of working days in the office every week.

​At Quant, we have been carefully considering our approach. The result being our new adaptable working framework. We introduced the framework in July, and it has been well-received internally – as well as attracting interest from other HR leaders and competitors.

​Whilst we have made the decision not to shift back to requiring a fixed number of days working from the office every week, we do wish to maximise the use of the investment in our fantastic Paddington office space and provide more opportunities for our team members to come together. We want to recognise that flexible working is not just a passing trend but a fundamental value that both individuals and collective Teams, place great value on. As Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom <a href="https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/08/29/nicholas-bloom-predicts-a-working-from-home-nike-swoosh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-barba-prevent="self">wrote in the Economist</a>, most of us now value hybrid working as equivalent to an 8 per cent pay increase, with the “big two” US employment perks–pensions and health care–now becoming the “big three” with the addition of remote working.

​Respecting individual needs
​At Quant, we recognise that each employee has unique work preferences and requirements. That’s why we have shaped our adaptable working framework around the concept of flexibility, allowing our team members to design their schedules according to their needs. Some of our roles, such as engineers, necessitate uninterrupted focus when creating code. For these individuals, the office becomes a valuable hub for collaboration rather than a place for individual work. By respecting these individual needs, we ensure that our employees can perform at their best, wherever they choose to work.

​Maximising office space
​Our fantastic office space is not just a physical location; it is a centre for connectivity and collaboration. We firmly believe that the purpose of the office goes beyond being a place for daily work. It is where the magic of teamwork happens. We now aim to make the most of this space by providing opportunities for team members to come together, connect and collaborate. By establishing a core number of ‘anchor days’ per month, we encourage meaningful in person collaboration that enhances creativity, problem-solving, and innovation whilst simultaneously fostering and developing social personal relationships.

​A customised approach
One size does not fit all. With diverse locations and contractual arrangements, it is impractical to have a single, homogeneous policy. That’s why the adaptable working framework is designed to be agile, considering the unique circumstances of our team members. We have grouped our workforce into three distinct groups with different guidelines tailored to their needs, ensuring fairness and transparency.

​The framework not only respects individual needs but also facilitates effective collaboration among team members. We encourage cross-functional team meetings to be scheduled when others are present in the office. This ensures that everyone can work together efficiently and contribute their expertise. By maintaining open communication and flexibility, we create an environment where face-to-face contact can be optimised and fruitful interactions can occur, leading to improved teamwork and collective achievements.

​We also wanted to recognise that flexibility and autonomy in choosing where and how work is performed have become essential elements for attracting and retaining top talent. By providing our employees with the freedom to balance their personal and professional lives, we demonstrate to them that their well-being and work-life balance matter to us. In turn, our employees are more engaged, motivated, and productive, leading to better outcomes for our organisation.

​Additionally, our approach allows us to tap into a truly global and diverse talent pool, expanding our access to diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences. This diversity fuels innovation and drives our organisation forward. By embracing an adaptable working culture, we position ourselves as a forward-thinking fintech company that understands and meets the needs of the evolving modern workforce.

​Quant’s adaptable working framework redefines the purpose of our office and creates an environment where our employees can thrive. By respecting individual needs, maximising our office space for collaboration, and implementing a customised and transparent approach, we foster a culture of trust, respect, and autonomy.

<a href="https://quant.network/careers/" data-barba-prevent="self">Learn more about a career with Quant &gt;</a>

Adaptable working

<a href="https://quant.network/events/alfi-london-conference-2023/">This article was first published on the Quant website on 13 November 2023 &gt;</a>

​During a panel session at ALFI’s London Conference last month, our Chief Product Officer discussed asset digitalisation for the investment management industry with a panel that included HSBC’s Global Head of Digital Assets Strategy.

​Moderated by Deloitte’s Lize Griffith, the session – entitled ‘Asset digitalisation: The impact and opportunities for both asset managers and servicers’ – sought to explore how technology is disrupting the asset management and asset servicing industries. The use of DLT and blockchain, the tokenisation of assets, the need for effective data management solutions as well as the roll-out of AI are creating challenges but also many opportunities for all participants.

​The first point HSBC’s Global Head of Digital Assets Strategy John O’Neill made was that these issues are often not technology-driven. “Legislation and regulation are just as important,” he noted before proceeding to outline his vision for asset digitalisation.

​To O’Neill, the real benefit of digital assets is the speed and certainty with which you can trade – as long as you also have some form of tokenised money. “It’s all very well having assets on blockchain”, he said “but the underlying promise is that you can get it more rapidly with settlement finality. We’re very comfortable with CBDCs but not crypto or stablecoins. We tokenise commercial bank money instead.”

​According to Martin Hargreaves, our Chief Product Officer, although <a href="https://quant.network/news/quant-collaborates-with-bis-and-the-bank-of-england-on-project-rosalind/" data-barba-prevent="self">Project Rosalind</a>looked at retail uses cases for a digital pound, that’s far from the only way in which digital currency could be used. “We also see a lot of demand for systems that use commercial bank tokenised money,” he said.

​O’Neill concurred and returned to what he sees as the key benefit of tokenised money: faster settlement. “The potential is to speed up markets in a safe manner,” he said. “Settlement inefficiencies are rife. More rapid settlement means profound change in terms of counterparties and liquidity.”

​Martin confirmed that many financial institutions are aware of the opportunity but struggling with their strategy. For him, the momentum will be unleashed once the various experiments start to interoperate. “We see some live CBDCs, some tokenised deposits; those will start to connect and that will change the payments landscape,” Martin said.

​“I agree with Martin, this is about efficiency,” concluded O’Neill. “The other element is liquidity. That’s what will change the structure of markets.”

<a href="https://quant.network/news/?filter=all">For more insight on the future of finance, visit Quant's website &gt;</a>

Quant at ALFI London Conference 2023

<a href="https://quant.network/events/uk-finances-digital-innovation-summit/">This article was first published on Quant's website on 6 November 2023 &gt;</a>

During a panel session at UK Finance’s Digital Innovation Summit last week, our founder and CEO discussed the digital pound with a panel that included senior representatives from Citi, the Bank for International Settlements, and the Bank of England.

​Moderated by Santander’s Chief Payments Officer, Paul Horlock, the afternoon session – part of <a href="https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/digital-innovation-summit-2023-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-barba-prevent="self">the conference’s New Digital Money workstream</a>, chaired by Nicole Sandler, Head of Digital Policy at Barclays – was entitled ‘the vision for the digital pound’ and delved into a UK central bank digital currency and how the concept would ultimately benefit companies, consumers and the economy at large.

​Horlock turned first to Tom Mutton, CBDC Director at the Bank of England, to get a summary of where the central bank was with its digital currency thinking. Mutton explained that the initial explorations, including <a href="https://quant.network/news/quant-collaborates-with-bis-and-the-bank-of-england-on-project-rosalind/" data-barba-prevent="self">Project Rosalind</a>, were complete and they were now embarking on a design phase.

​“We’ve said a digital pound is needed,” said Mutton. “That’s a long way from saying we’re going to build it. We need consultation and a rigorous framework for decision-making.”

​That consultation is well underway and Mutton underlined the large amount of feedback he had already received while reiterating that “everyone’s voice needs to be heard”. To him the pressing question is: where does the innovation come from to support a digital economy?

​Having worked on Project Rosalind which explored how the digital pound could deliver real benefits, that’s a question Gilbert Verdian, our founder and CEO, has strong views on. With existing money, “we’ve reached ‘peak payments’,” said Gilbert. “What’s next is tokenised money that can have logic and programmability built-in.” That’s where the benefits of digital currency will be realised.

​In response to a question from the audience about the “traceability” of digital currencies, Gilbert pointed out another key benefit: “money laundering and fraud – which is ever increasing and which the banks are liable for – will always exist but this new form of money gives us far better tools to solve it [at the network level, before transactions can occur].”

​Tony McLaughlin, responsible for Emerging Payments &amp; Business Development at Citi, is certainly convinced and was quick to point out that those benefits can also be delivered by tokenised commercial bank money. “Why did the core ledger for Project Rosalind only include central bank money? Why not include commercial bank money too and let that be the catalyst for innovative use cases,” he asked.

​Rodney Garrat, a senior adviser at the Bank for International Settlements, was keen to illustrate one of those use cases: a digital currency offers the possibility of instant settlement. “The grand vision is you have not only tokenised money but also tokenised assets,” he concluded.

<a href="https://quant.network/news/?filter=all">For more insight on the future of finance, visit Quant's website &gt;</a>

UK Finance’s Digital Innovation Summit

Quant is the foundation of the blockchain economy.
Assets of all kinds, from currencies to carbon credits, are being tokenised on blockchain, making their ownership immutable, their provenance traceable and their use easy to manage. Our patent-pending technology makes this simple, trusted and future-proof.
We work with financial institutions and corporates to dramatically reduce their time-to-market, create new revenue lines, and mitigate risk by delivering enterprise-grade solutions built with security and compliance front of mind.
Founded in 2018, Quant is UK-based with a US presence. We spearheaded the Blockchain ISO Standard TC307 adopted by 57 countries and solved interoperability with the creation of the world’s first blockchain-agnostic API gateway, Overledger, which is now available to all via <a href="https://connect.quant.network/login">Quant Connect &gt;</a>
To find out more, visit <a href="http://www.quant.network/">quant.network</a>.

Quant

Quant is the foundation of the blockchain economy.
Assets of all kinds, from currencies to carbon credits, are being tokenised on blockchain, making their ownership immutable, their provenance traceable and their use easy to manage. Our patent-pending technology makes this simple, trusted and future-proof.
We work with financial institutions and corporates to dramatically reduce their time-to-market, create new revenue lines, and mitigate risk by delivering enterprise-grade solutions built with security and compliance front of mind.
Founded in 2018, Quant is UK-based with a US presence. We spearheaded the Blockchain ISO Standard TC307 adopted by 57 countries and solved interoperability with the creation of the world’s first blockchain-agnostic API gateway, Overledger, which is now available to all via <a href="https://connect.quant.network/login">Quant Connect &gt;</a>
To find out more, visit <a href="http://www.quant.network/">quant.network</a>.

Chief Marketing Officer

Andrew is responsible for Quant’s marketing, communications and brand.
Andrew joined Quant in 2022. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector, including four at Deutsche Bank - where he had global responsibility for the marketing of the bank’s securities services - and eight with secure financial messaging and standards cooperative SWIFT. While at SWIFT, his roles included product marketing, leading the global marketing communications team, and taking charge of communications for Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event which connects thousands of executives, decision-makers and thought leaders from across the industry every year.
Andrew is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the author of InMarketing, a newsletter that draws insights from the week’s most intriguing financial services stories, and an unredeemable Twitter addict.

Andrew Carrier

Founder & CEO, Quant

As CEO and Founder of Quant, Gilbert is focused on unlocking the power of blockchain for everyone, to create an empowered, interconnected world.
Gilbert has more than 20 years of cybersecurity experience and C-level accountability as a CISO, CIO and CTO. He has worked in government - for Downing Street, HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice and NSW Health – and has also served in the private sector, at Mastercard, Vocalink, CSC, EY, PwC, 
BP and HSBC.
With a keen interest in disruptive technology, Gilbert established the Blockchain ISO Standard TC307 initiative in 2015 and is the Convenor of the the Interoperability working group WG7 for ISO.

Gilbert Verdian

Chief Operating Officer

Lara leads Quant’s daily operations, strategy, and administration as it goes to market internationally. 
Lara brings over 20 years’ experience in the Healthcare and Lifesciences industry as a specialist in the development of global pricing and GTM (Go-To-Market) strategies for pharma companies. Having held senior positions in international leadership, she has a strong track record of success in global launches, pricing strategies and played key roles in valuation and due diligence projects relating to acquisition targets, both of pharmaceutical companies and private equity.
Highly experienced in business development and managing multimillion dollar budgets, Lara successfully led the pharmaceutical and life sciences division of the broader Health Economics and Social Policy Practice at Deloitte, and has worked at other leading pharmaceutical/healthcare brands, including J&amp;J, Pfizer, GSK, Eisai, Actelion and Intercept.
She holds an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney, and an MSc in Health Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lara Verdian

Chief Product Officer

Martin leads Quant’s product strategy and is passionate about how DLT and blockchain-based payments can unlock new efficiencies for money movement, domestically and across borders. 
He is a fintech and payments industry leader steeped in product discovery, who has spearheaded the development and delivery of projects for B2B SaaS as well as national payment systems. Prior to Quant, Martin spent 12 years’ at Vocalink Mastercard, where he was Vice President of Product. He led product, strategy and architecture teams by championing an agile culture, innovation and continuous learning. Martin is a member of the Digital Pound Foundation. He holds two patents in payments data processing and ACH transactions.