Robert Bell is a recognized innovator in banking and digital financial infrastructure. He is a former HSBC Banker, and NZX Energy trader, and has been the force behind the Pacific’s eight country real time regional payment infrastructure since 2013, empowering both Institutional markets and Financial Inclusion, for which he was recently awarded a New Zealander of the Year (2017) medal.
Focussed on getting things done in financial inclusion and banking systems for emerging markets, Robert is best known for stabilising foreign exchange volatility in low liquidity currencies, and building payment and banking infrastructure to benefit the unbanked within those economies.
Often invited to speak as an expert on digital financial security and international payments/exchange/financial inclusion at leadership forums including the G20, United Nations, Commonwealth Heads of Government, The International Monetary Fund, The World Bank, The Asian Development Bank, he’s at ease on topics ranging from diversity, to calculus, to NFC.
Robert Bell holds Degrees in Finance (BCom) and Economics (BA), studied Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence at MIT, is a graduate of Stanford University’s Advanced Financial & Quantitative Engineering program, and attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Governance program, completing in 2019.
“You’re not just asking for real time payments, you’re asking for real time everything from the central bank and that changes the world.”
-Robert Bell at Fintech On Air
It was the natural next step to keep helping the Pacific with new ideas to change this part of the world.
A regional infrastructure group managing payments, financial inclusion, and the financial interests of the Pacific Region.
KlickEx has won acclaim and dropped the prices of transfers in the Pacific from 22% to about 2% or less.
Grid-Augmentation services, ancillary amplification and stabilisation technology for transmission optimisation.
Global Payments & Cash Management CIBM, Global Banking & Markets PCM.
FirstWorld FX designed and developed economic policies for use in capital depleted and remittance dependent economies in the South Pacific.
In over two decades working in financial services, fintech, and technology, I have never encountered a more gifted financial professional than Rob. His ingenuity and creativity is rivaled only by his integrity. A genuinely talented and gracious financial services veteran, and at such a young age compared to his peers. Rob’s vision and articulation of future trends in banking and financial services borders on prophetic. This, coupled with his compassion for the underserved and his enthusiasm for financial inclusion, makes Rob a leader to keep your eye on.
Robert Bell is one of the rare breed of entrepreneur that is truly interested in financial inclusion and sees the return in the long term investment in bringing down costs to the point of benefiting the poor. His innovative methods of using new technologies to bring down the costs of international remittances, especially across the Pacific, have dramatically brought down costs and saved people millions off dollars in fees. Robert is also extremely generous with his time having joined me to train regulators and policy makers on multiple occasions. I am proud to call him a good friend and colleague!
Having spent hours talking with him about financial inclusion, I really can confirm that Rob is very serious about that, a genuine, generous and responsible philanthropist. He has a business vision that is based on a humanist vision of our society. Rob is a professional relationship who became a good friend, mostly because of his human values.
