CHRISTOPH BERENTZEN Interview

摘要

Commerzbank is on a mission to become an open banking champion. Since the formation of its application programming interface (API) programme in 2017, the German lender has deployed and prioritised open banking principles as part of its wider growth strategy. On a technical level, API banking is being used to develop integrated services across organisational boundaries. This involves collaborating with other operators in the open banking ecosystem in order to co-innovate solutions that enhance value for the bank's customers. Beyond the technology, however, Commerzbank is also fostering a culture of "trust and encouraged experimentation", internally and with its chosen partners, as it looks to the future. "It's important that banks start acknowledging that their business is changing," says Christoph Berentzen, head of API banking at Commerzbank. "They have to move from being product companies to platform companies. When we have a deeper look into what that really means, it's to say that no one can do it alone. If you want to be part of the ecosystem game, you have to search for partners. It's about leveraging the different strengths of all the operators in the wider open banking ecosystem."