10 Things I Know
David Horton, head of innovation at Synechron
On growing up between continents, digital banking’s next frontier, and why being observant matters more than being clever.
Synechron is a fast growing digital, business consulting and technology services provider based in New York, but with a global reach, including a base in Dubai. David Horton is their Head of Innovation, working at the cutting edge of banking and finance.
I am one of those people who is a bit of a traveller; my parents moved around the world. I was born in Zimbabwe, and moved to South Africa when I was very young. I finished school and university then moved back to London where I worked for several years, before moving back to the Middle East.
My background is really on the technology side of things — IT. Starting from being the guy you rang up on the helpdesk who helps everyone out. I did some training and teaching, showing people how to use computers, but in a very human way. I always think this helped me in many ways.
When you speak with business users about innovation or technology, they want you to put things in business terms. Ninety per cent of what I do is around explaining technology in terms of how it will benefit businesses if they decide to invest in it.
When you show people a place that is real, tangible and concrete it becomes an easy sell. It is not a presentation — people can experience and feel the new customer journey for themselves.
We have integrated ‘beacons’ into the Centre which demonstrate the potential for bank loyalty schemes. As customers walk past a particular point they get tailored ‘beacon’ alerts on their phone.
Over the last few years there has been a convergence of innovation and it is really opening up doors to do things that were just not possible a few years ago. Blockchain, although in its early stages, is another area that is definitely going to cause some disruption.
The one thing that social media does is it allows you to follow and keep in touch with thought leaders. LinkedIn is also a valuable place to learn.
Just be observant. Kids do things so differently, so watching them and looking at where they are shining their lights is also valuable. I have a great team with a big imagination, so we often sit together and discuss opportunities and build prototypes.
"When you show people a place that is real, tangible and concrete it becomes an easy sell. It is not a presentation — people can experience the new customer journey for themselves."
From the Archive — This interview was originally published in Dubai Special, May 2016 (May 2016). Roles, titles, and views expressed were accurate at the time of the original interview and may have since changed.
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