Danny Levy: Exploring the Nexus of Technology and Finance

Danny Levy, the Managing Director of Money 20/20 for Asia & ANZ, brings over 13 years of senior leadership experience in Singapore. Money 20/20 is globally recognized as the premier platform within the money ecosystem. In his multifaceted role, Danny excels at crafting and implementing commercial strategies, understanding customer needs, adapting products to local markets, and fostering high-performance teams across diverse disciplines.

Aside from his corporate achievements, Danny also holds the title of founder and host of the popular podcast, Digital Transformation & Leadership, which has earned its place among the top 100 Business podcasts.

Before his current endeavors, Danny achieved significant milestones as the Managing Director of APAC operations for Worldwide Business Research. During his tenure, he spearheaded market expansion, facilitated rapid growth, and successfully launched a digital business division.

Born in Beverley, England, in 1985, Danny's journey from the historic county of Yorkshire to the dynamic business landscape of Singapore was propelled by a pivotal decision he made at the age of 18. Following his passion, he pursued higher education at Queen Mary University of London, studying Journalism and Contemporary History. Immersed in the world of academia, he split his time between the QMUL campus and the Department of Journalism at City University. It was during this transformative period that Danny's career path took shape, eventually leading him to London, where he met his future wife and discovered the gateway to an exciting opportunity. In 2010, he embarked on a life-changing journey, leveraging his professional connectionsto make Singapore his new home.

Join us as we delve into Danny’s career milestones, unravelling the story of his exceptional leadership and relentless pursuit of innovation in the global money landscape…

What strategies did you employ to deliver the commercial strategy for Money 20/20 and ensure its success in the Asia and ANZ regions?

Money 20/20, the world’s leading fintech show, regarded as the place where money does business, was founded by the industry, for the industry in 2011. It features world famous speakers drawn from a wide variety of sectors and thousands of companies from across the entire digital money ecosystem including the world’s largest banks, the largest digital payments companies, wealthtech, insuretech, neobanks, regulators, government agencies, and investment firms. 

Money 20/20 officially welcomed Bangkok as the host city for Money 20/20 Asia to be held on April 23-25th in 2024 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.  The destination city was chosen due to its growing global reputation as a hotbed of fintech growth in Asia. Hence, Bangkok becomes Money 20/20’s third host city, joining Amsterdam and Las Vegas which welcomes over 20,000 fintech and financial services professionals globally.  

I’m responsible for delivering the upcoming Asia show in Bangkok. What sets us apart is the fact that we bring together the entire Asian money ecosystem from banks, payments, tech, startups, retail, fintech, financial services to policy, and more. In terms of the commercial strategy, I’m responsible for two things; sponsorship, and ticket sales. We’re a premium show focused on unmissable experiences, not a free-to-attend traditional B2B trade show. We’ve recruited a large and experienced sales team with in-market knowledge based in Singapore and are working with several strategic partners in the region to ensure that we meet our revenue goals.

Even though the event is 10 months away, we’ve already started taking bookings with launch sponsors including, JP Morgan, LianLianGlobal, Terrapay, d.local, Sumsub, DSG Pay, and Compass Plus Technologies to name a few.

Can you share an example of a challenging situation you encountered while localizing a product in a specific market, and how you overcame it?

When you’re in Asia and working for an international company, there is always a risk that your lens is too global and not one that serves the needs of the market. I’ve worked in Asia for 13 years and it’s such a diverse region with very different nuances depending on which country you are focusing on. What works in Singapore may not work in Indonesia, for example. So, my advice is to do the research before you launch a new product.

Also, you must really invest the time to go deep into customer insights to gather intelligence on their objectives, pain points and requirements to understand if you have a market fit, and make sure you tailor your offering appropriately to fit the needs of that market. If it isn’t hyper-localized, then it won’t fly.

As a leader, how do you build, coach, develop, and mentor a high-performing team across different functions such as sales, content, marketing, creative, and operations? What’s the secret sauce?

There’s no silver bullet. But, I’ve learnt over the years that a talented group with a good culture and team spirit can carry you further, faster, and help you overcome most obstacles that you encounter along the way.

Your job as Managing Director is to hire talented people with lots of potential, give them what they need, and then get out of the way. And when you are managing cross-functional teams it’s important that you create a safe, collaborative culture where failing forward is seen as a positive, and no one works in silos.

Lastly, lead from the front, support your team, step in and do the work when you have to, help your team see what you see and vice versa. And make sure that people know that work/life balance and mental health are a focus. Your team do their best work when they feel supported and are energised to do their best work.

In your opinion, what are the key factors that contribute to successful leadership in the digital transformation space?

You have to make sure you’re focused on the right things. To do that, I always boil it down tothe 3 Ps:

1. People: do you have the right people on the bus to get you to your destination? Sounds easy, but it’s the cause of, and the solution to, all of your problems.

2. Process: do you have best practice processes in place to reduce friction? Many miss this, make sure you’re documenting what works so that your team can do their best work, stress-free.

3. Product: are you solving a real world problem? Is your product the best in class? Winning cultures are built around a shared mission. Providing a worldclass product that satisfies a customer need inspires and motivates, and eventually transforms your business.

As the founder and host of a top 100 business podcast, how do you ensure the podcast remains relevant and engaging for your audience?

It’s my job as host to do two things really well: firstly, find relevant and interesting guests who have a unique story and point of view to share. The show centres on leaders in the Digital Transformation space so ideally this is heads of technology or product from global and Asian multinationals who are digitally transforming their business. I get a lot requests to come on the show and I decline 99% of them as they are not the right fit and I know I will be doing my listeners a disservice if I have them on the show. You do have to be quite ruthless.

I’m now on Season 4, and one lesson I learnt from the previous series is to be more intentional with the guests. I was recording an episode a week previously and it was hard to maintain the level of quality. For Season 4 I have recorded the episodes in advance ahead of releasing so I am more in control of who is featured in the current season. Secondly, ask great questions that bring out the best of the guests who have agreed to come on the Digital Transformation & Leadership Podcast. Not everyone is a natural, and some guests can be nervous or give concise answers. It’s my job as host to shine the spotlight on them, and get the best out of them by asking interesting and thought-provoking questions, and making them feel comfortable.

Could you share a significant achievement or milestone you reached while running the APAC operation for Worldwide Business Research? How did you unlock rapid growth in that role?

There were a number of significant milestones that stand out, including rapidly scaling the business, entering new markets across Asia and ANZ, and launching a new digital research and 1-1 meetings arm.

However, what I am most proud of, is the relentless focus on our customers, because during my time there, we really doubled down on understanding what our customers wanted and made sure that we were giving it to them.

This allowed our events like eTail (eCommerce), ProcureCon(procurement), Digital Travel (travel), and many more to become the market leading gatherings in their industry in Asia and ANZ. To this day, I am incredibly proud about the quality of these summits and the value they bring to the industries and communities in Asia and ANZ.

What trends and developments in the global money ecosystem do you find most exciting or impactful, and how do you incorporate them into your work at Money 20/20?

It’s got to be the number of world firsts happening right here in Asia. From Singapore and Thailand’s launch of the world’s first real-time payment system, to Ant Financial launching the world's first blockchain-based e-wallet cross-border remittance service. Asia is leading in terms of global fintech adoption, and South East Asia, the fastest growing fintech market, is entering its golden age, due to its sizeable unbanked population that is willing to use fintech products.

What do you consider to be your biggest professional challenge or learning experience throughout your career, and how has it shaped your leadership style?

I’ve had different challenges at each stage of my leadership journey; doing start-ups, challenging product launches, the wrong hiring decisions, difficult moments with suppliers etc.

The one that stands out the most though is the Covid-19 health pandemic when it first hit in 2020. Working in Singapore for a B2B events business, the company impact was profound. We had to postpone events, move them online, launch new digital businesses at speed, pivot staff into new roles, and so much more. Despite it all, we came out stronger on the other side, more resilient, with a much better business model in place due to the innovation we had done at speed. And we went on to have the strongest years in the history of the Asia business, both in terms of revenues and growth.  

My advice when you’re faced with a difficult moment is to remain calm, look at all of the options, gather the data points, and not make knee-jerk decisions (if you don’t have to). And if you do make the wrong decision (which you will at some point!), hold your hands up, and gracefully admit it to your team, learn from it, and go again. People prefer to work for a leader that they can relate to, rather than someone who pretends to be perfect all the time.

How do you envision the future of the money ecosystem, and what role do you believe Money 20/20 will play in shaping that future?

In thefuture, I envision a highly digitised and interconnected money ecosystem where traditional currencies and all assets are largely digitised or tokenized. Transactions, purchases, ownership, and value transfers will be automated and seamlessly executed with the click of a button. This digitisation and tokenization of money and assets will enable faster, more efficient, and secure financial transactions, ultimately enhancing convenience and accessibility for individuals and businesses alike.

Money 20/20 plays a crucial role in shaping this future. As a nexus where industries converge, Money 20/20 facilitates community-building and fosters strong partnerships. It brings together like-minded individuals and organizations who share a common interest in transforming the financial landscape. In this environment of collaboration and serendipity, ideas are sparked, solutions are created, and challenges are overcome. With its continued commitment to being at the centre of the financial innovation ecosystem, Money 20/20 will continue to shape the future by driving thought leadership, fostering partnerships, and providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and solutions that will revolutionize the way we think about, and interact with money.

What’s the big dream for you?

My focus now is Money 20/20 Asia, and like the sister events in Las Vegas and Amsterdam, the goal is to make it the #1 show for money in Asia.

What’s your one guiding principle, your North Star, in life and work?

My family: I have two daughters 10 and 7, and I have been married for 12 years. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. But for me, the secret to success has always been my family. They provide a constant source of inspiration, motivation and support. They remind me of my values and priorities, and keep me grounded when things get hectic. They help me navigate setbacks and celebrate my achievements.

If you’re looking for success in your career, don’t underestimate the power of family. Whether it’s your spouse, children, parents or extended family, make time for them, invest in those relationships. They can help you achieve your dreams.

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Photos courtesy of: Money 20/20

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