SBWire

Fintech jobs are at the heart of innovation in the financial services sector. This has been particularly important during the COVID-19 crisis and the green shoots of recovery that are just beginning to show. The 2021 Banking and Capital Markets Outlook report from Deloitte polled industry leaders on the recovery efforts of their businesses and how the lessons that have been learned over the past year could be a catalyst for a new approach going forward. Fintech appears multiple times in the report as an inspiration for the traditional financial services sector, for example when it comes to leveraging customer data and analytics to deliver ultra-personalised services to customers and engage consumers in more creative ways.

The German Federal Government has recently approved a law on due diligence, to guarantee the preservation of human rights and the maintenance of environmental regulations at every stage of the supply chain process. The implementation of this regulation ensures that due diligence is upheld not just within the state, but in places where raw materials are extracted and goods are assembled. Companies with more than 3,000 employees will be subject to supply chain standards by 2023, with fines for non-compliance reaching a 2% of average annual sale, for companies that surpass €400 million in sales. Thanks to their industry leading knowledge and a business model founded on being sector-specific, the team at DSJ Global are able to proactively react to this type of industry news as Germany adapts to the 'new normal'.

The traditional supply chain process has been flipped on its head due to the ever changing and evolving digital age. The rise of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and countless other disruptive technologies have meant that the supply chain industry has changed at an exponential rate. With the modern-day customer demanding short delivery cycles, more variety and customisation as well as lower cost. As a result, production runs are required to be shorter, the number of stock-keeping units skyrockets and the accuracy of forecasts can plummet. Bearing all this in mind, it's paramount that supply chain employers understand and represent the new era through their recruitment choices.

Since 2016, Uber freight has allowed independent truckers and van drivers to connect with shippers and freight forwarders. 2021 has seen the ongoing development of the San Francisco-founded company via its introduction of 'Market Access'. This strategic procurement channel enables shippers to source capacity in real-time whilst maintaining market visibility and control over cost. This feature also allows the user to access competitive rates on inconsistent volume, which is especially vital in a tight market. Furthermore, Market Access guarantees price transparency and it has been developed to enable shippers to pay carriers the costs incurred over the Uber Freight marketplace, plus an agreed-to fee upon delivery.

There has never been a more exciting time to explore the opportunities throughout the Asian logistics industry with international freight increasing year-on-year. In 2018, the cargo that travelled through Hong Kong International Airport surpassed all other airports in the world, including Shanghai, Incheon and Dubai, in terms of international air cargoes handled. With an estimated annual growth rate of 3.5%, Hong Kong's airfreight throughput rose from 4.38 million tonnes in 2014 to 5.02 million tonnes in 2018. The development of the three-runway system at HKIA has also been designed to strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub, able to cater for long-term air traffic demand and, in turn, strengthen the competitiveness of the city's air cargo industry. The three strategic areas for potential development at the airport include: cross-border e-commerce opportunities, targeting high-end & high-value cargo, and enhancing regional cargo services.

The domestic US logistics industry continues to thrive as we approach the anniversary of the shelter-in-place mandate, which resulted in a significant boost for American e-commerce. However, the sector is also facing cost increases, new market demands, and staffing challenges. Simultaneously, new technology means that delivery via autonomous vehicles and drones is quickly becoming a reality, with key commercial sector regulatory approval expected to be rolled out by the end of March 2021. According to recent market research and industry forecasts, the logistics sector is well-positioned for additional growth.

As a whole, the demand of FinTech and technology talent throughout 2020 was steady. While the year was certainly tougher than usual for many businesses, it appeared that most agreed that falling behind on the execution of key technology agendas would only make life more difficult in the long run. Medium and High Frequency Trading firms – often renowned for thriving off instability – accelerated technology hiring to ensure they capitalised on growth opportunities. This was also the case for many FinTech companies and consumer groups in the digital banking sphere. With the post-Brexit hiring landscape well underway, FinTech has been marked for further expansion throughout the UK, which impressively, already has more FinTech unicorns (a startup with a valuation over $1 billion) than the rest of Europe.

In Asia as well as globally, Singapore is one of the leading private banking and wealth management centers. As a country, it has a long history of attracting high net worth individuals (HNWI) thanks to its sound financial regulations, strong legal system and its political and economic stability.

Quantitative analysis is the use of mathematical, statistical and financial methods. Those looking for careers in the field are often quantitative analysts or more frequently termed, a quant. In general, quants tend to specialize in specific, career defining areas which include, derivative structuring or pricing, risk management, algorithmic trading and investment management. The occupation has often drawn similarities to those in industrial mathematics in other industries. For candidates able to search vast databases and identify patterns, such as correlations among liquid assets or price-movement patterns, (trend following or mean reversion) the quant sector is ideally suited. Additional roles also include, statistical arbitrage, quantitative investment management, algorithmic trading, and electronic market making.

Since 2004 the Selby Jennings Quantitative Analytics team has been a foundation of the success of Selby Jennings and the Phaidon International Group as a global organization. Thanks to 15 years of experience in recruiting quants at all levels, the team at Selby Jennings pride themselves on their best-in-class and unrivalled knowledge of the quant sector as well as a diverse client network. As a leading US quant recruiter, Selby Jennings' candidate database consists of over 400,000 professionals that work in quantitative roles ranging from derivative desk quants, modelers, developers, researchers to portfolio managers and quant traders.

The beginning of the month brought the news that the UK Government are planning to extend the Northern Ireland grace period relating to border checks on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods, both of which were due to come to an end after March 2021. Logistics UK's Policy Manager for Northern Ireland stated, "Extending the current grace periods for the movement of SPS goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is vital to protect supply chains." This decision means that businesses will not face significant red tape come April. After a year of continuous disruptions to the supply chain and logistics sector, brought on by both the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, this news offered as a welcome relief to many agri-food businesses.

The UK continues to be ahead of the rest of the world in distributing and delivering vaccines. However, this success story would not have been possible without a clear and defined logistical strategy. Dr. Sarah Schiffling, Humanities Logistics Expert at Liverpool John Moores University, explains how there are many active parties that feed into the supply chain in order to get vaccines from factories in England and The Netherlands, to vaccine centres and finally into the nation. Ongoing coordination and alignment, as well as widespread vaccine campaigns, have all been pivotal in ensuring a streamlined process and subsequently mass vaccinations, all the while bringing the UK that crucial step closer to the 'new normal'.

After a tumultuous period for the manufacturing industry - due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic - positive data has recently been published in the February 2021 PMIS (purchasing managers index survey). This data highlights strong and accelerated growth in Germany's manufacturing sector. This positive turn is partly due to demand from Asia, the US and Europe, which has led to export sales rising to the highest level since December 2017. According to the Association for Supply Chain Management, Procurement and Logistics (BME), the expectations of manufacturers were very positive with regards to the forecasted increase in production levels over the next 12 months. Furthermore, this highlighted the predictions that demand is expected to rebound even further as COVID-19 constraints are relaxed and consumer confidence resumes.

The growth and development of Hong Kong's logistics industry shows no signs of slowing down, with solid growth predicted until 2025. The trading and logistics industry is the largest among Hong Kong's four major economic pillars, in terms of both jobs and value-added. In 2018, trading and logistics accounted for 21% of the city's GDP and employed around 718,600 people. In the same year, the logistics sector alone accounted for 3.1% of Hong Kong's GDP and 176,900 jobs, whilst transportation services accounted for 29.2% of Hong Kong's service exports. Over the last few decades, air transportation has been increasingly important for Hong Kong's trade, making up a substantial portion of both exports and imports, particularly to China. With all of this in mind, there has never been a more exciting time to explore the opportunities available in the Hong Kong logistics industry.

Switzerland is home to a significant number of multinational brands' supply chain and distribution operations, making it the perfect place for a leading specialist recruiter in this sector. From Bern and Lucerne to Chur, Geneva, and Zurich, DSJ Global source business-critical talent from every corner of the country for established international enterprises as well as independent novel start-ups. The firms' Swiss team has proven expertise in supporting businesses when it comes to finding the right people to weather economic storms and identify new opportunities to pivot and thrive. As the leading logistics and supply chain recruitment agency, DSJ Global specialises in a variety of sectors, which include procurement careers and technical operations jobs.

UAE HOSTESSES is a model agency in Dubai that focuses on providing spectacular events with the quality staffing they deserve. They have a large and varied pool of talented and professional models prepared to organize all corporate events. The agency does not just provide clients with the faces and models that can best represent their companies, products, or services, but they make sure clients can count on them to provide exceptional solutions. With them, clients are sure to find the most qualified and attractive models in Dubai.

As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong famously stated "Singapore was built on the back of engineers." Indeed, engineers have built infrastructure, industrialised the economy, and helped Singapore address many national needs over the years. After the introduction of the country's Smart Nation initiative, experts anticipated that Singapore would need close to 1,000 new engineers every year just to cover the public infrastructure projects. Similarly, to every global economy across the world, Singapore has also faced challenges in recent months due to obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, infrastructure still remains at the heart of progress in Singapore.

A leading global recruitment company, Volt Singapore offers Volt Workforce Solutions (VWS) for businesses of all sizes. Providing flexible and scalable solutions, the company provides businesses with experienced candidates; whether you need to source a small team of specialists or thousands of contingent workers. With a vast range of experience in the field, they have an innate ability to identify and deliver quality talent to their clients. Their recruiters focus on specific skills and industries, allowing them to fully understand the skills required to excel at each position and provide the best fitting candidates.

2021 is set to be a very exciting year for the cybersecurity sector in the UK. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has indicated, in their 2020 annual sectoral analysis, a record investment in the cyber sector now worth £8.9 billion. Despite the difficult economic situation that the UK has been in as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the industry recorded a new record quantity of cyber security deals, equating to over £821 million. The report also revealed that more than half of firms are now based outside of London and the South East, highlighting the growing strength of the sector across all nations and regions of the UK - which has contributed to regional prosperity as well as strengthening cyber resilience for numerous organisations. Glocomms have a plethora of cyber security roles available both in the UK and internationally.

Germany, as well as many other European states, has faced intense instability and uncertainty throughout the pandemic, adapting to a new way of life which technology has undoubtedly aided. However, disruptions and fluctuations are not new for this sector. For the IT and technology industry, the fourth industrial revolution has provided new challenges and opportunities. Developments in artificial intelligence, 3D printing and quantum computing indicate just a few of the new and evolving technologies available to the industry. Glocomms are also looking towards the future and diversifying their hiring procedures, for example, advancing the number of women working in STEM.

The UK Government this February has launched the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA) who will be able to identify and fund transformational science and technology at speed, as part of the government's plan to establish the UK as a global science powerhouse. ARIA has been modelled on the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), which played a vital role in the development of technologies such as the internet, GPS and mRNA vaccines and antibody therapies.

The European Tech industry is leading the way in the transition to a climate neutral economy. Leading cloud and infrastructure providers and data centre operators have created the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact in which a plethora of companies and associations, including the most significant industry players, have agreed to a self-regulatory initiative to make European data centres carbon neutral by 2030. Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal stated, "Citizens across Europe use even more technology to go about their daily lives and want this technology, also to help secure a sustainable future for people and planet."

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented technology demands. As the world moves into a new stage of the pandemic, where mass testing, quarantines and vaccination rollouts are being used to curb the virus, tech companies are looking at a way to develop health passport apps. To allow passengers to travel to countries where a negative coronavirus test result or vaccination are entry requirements, tech firms, industry associations and airlines around the world have looked into developing different digital passport options so that safe travel can go ahead.

Cybersecurity breaches are often carried out by highly sophisticated bodies with malintent. One famous example of a serious breach occurred last year where Russian government hackers were believed to have inserted malicious code into popular software that monitors computer networks of businesses and governments. The Texas-based company which fell victim to the hack, SolarWinds, has thousands of federal and private sector clients. United States officials and cybersecurity experts have raised awareness for years about these types of attacks, which have previously resulted in havoc - including billions of dollars in financial losses. While former President Donald Trump was said to have shown little personal interest in cybersecurity, President Joe Biden has stated that he will prioritize it and impose costs on those who pose threats and carry out attacks.

Covid-19 has made businesses across the globe rethink and reimagine their people, processes, and technologies. Transformation and digitalisation have become imperative for business sustenance and growth, regardless of the organisations size. In Singapore's Budget 2021 address, finance minister Heng Swee Keat emphasised the need for innovation, deep regional and global connections, and redesigned job roles for Singaporeans to keep up with the demands of the new economy.