It’s October, Q3 has been and gone, leaving us reeling at the breakneck speed with which 2026 is passing. We at Z/Yen are also revelling in our recent victory at the City Giving Day quiz. Z/Yenners past and present came together to win in their venue competition of the annual charity event which raises money for The Lord Mayor's Appeal. Looking ahead, we have two rather different evenings to tempt you out before the dark sets in properly.

First, there are still places available for Magical Thinking with Mark Mason on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, an opportunity to flex your powers of perception, problem solving, and pooling ideas. If you fancy something a little outside the usual run of the City diary, this is it, and we would be delighted to see you there.

A week later, on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, the Busan Finance Center returns to the City for Busan: Korea’s Maritime Capital, its annual conference on investing and doing business in South Korea’s largest port city, which climbed to 22nd of 117 centres in the 40th edition of the Global Financial Centres Index, its highest placing to date. The programme covers developments in Busan’s maritime industry, maritime finance, and wider financial services sector, and the opportunities these create for international firms and investors. The evening closes with a drinks and networking reception. Free to attend, 18:00 – 20:30.

Sasha Davis (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

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Events & Webinars

• Featured Past Webinars

Simon Walls & Jessica Rusu:
FCA Fireside Chat: Regulating For Growth

Dr David P. Doyle:
An Update On EU AML, DORA And Strategic Autonomy In Financial Services Regulation

• Forthcoming Webinars

Launch Of China Construction Bank Global Green Finance Index 18

Thursday, 29 October 2026

What Our Card Payments & Mobile Data Say About How We Live

Wednesday, 18 November 2026

From Regulation To Opportunity: Navigating Taiwan’s Digital Asset Market

Thursday, 19 November 2026

• Event

The City Quantum & AI Summit 2026

Wednesday, 07 October 2026

Magical Thinking: Learning Magic Tricks To Expand Your Brain's Potential

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

Busan: Korea's Maritime Capital: Towards A Global Financial Hub 2026

Wednesday, 21 October 2026

Share Ownership Centre

The Employee Share Ownership Centre's newspad, is a monthly publication providing in-depth coverage of the main international news in the field of employee share ownership. Read this month's newspad in full.

The Nineteenth Newspad Employee Share Plan Awards are open for nominations.

Topic

Date

EMI Schemes: How To Avoid The Pitfalls

Wednesday, 07 October 2026

Jersey Employee Share Plans & Trustees Conference 2027

Thursday, 18 March 2027

Employee Share Plans Symposium 2027

Thursday, 27 May 2027

FS Club News

Istanbul Financial Center: Ahmet İhsan Erdem, CEO of Istanbul Financial Center (IFC), has been elected to the Board of Directors of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC). IFC will also host the WAIFC Annual General Meeting in Istanbul in 2027, marking another important step in its active engagement with the international financial center community. WAIFC brings together leading financial centers from around the world to foster international cooperation, knowledge sharing and dialogue on the development of financial centers. Mr Erdem’s election gives IFC representation on its Board, providing an opportunity to contribute Türkiye’s perspective and experience to the alliance’s work. Read more here.

Invest Seoul: Invest Seoul is an investment promotion agency established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to make Seoul a top destination for global companies and foreign investment. To find out more, click here.

Invest Seoul will host the Seoul Innovest Summit 2026 on October 19–20 at Conrad Seoul, bringing together global investors and promising innovative companies in Seoul. Visit the Seoul Innovest Summit Website.

Seoul Metropolitan Government will host Seoul Fintech Week 2026 from October 26 to 28 at Conrad Seoul. As a global networking platform, Seoul Fintech Week aims to explore key issues and innovative technologies in the finance and fintech industries while promoting the sustainable growth of the fintech ecosystem. Click here for more information.

Busan Finance Center: Busan’s Autumn 2026: Connecting Innovation, Maritime and Asian Capital Markets: Busan is set to welcome international participants across entrepreneurship, maritime affairs and finance in the final months of 2026. These gatherings will provide opportunities to strengthen international cooperation and highlight Busan’s growing role as an international financial centre.

The season opens with FLY ASIA 2026 (7–8 October), bringing together venture capitalists, innovators, and start-ups from across Asia. By connecting high-growth enterprises with global investment networks, the expo reinforces Busan’s foundation as an innovation-driven financial hub. Read the full publication here.

Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation: Two years into Taiwan’s Asian Asset Management Center (AAMC) initiative, Taiwan’s international competitiveness and visibility have strengthened significantly. In the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), Taipei rose from 73rd in September 2024 to 42nd, advancing 31 places in two years. Read more here.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) and Paraguay’s Asunción Stock Exchange (BVA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen financial and capital market ties and establish a long-term framework for cross-border cooperation. Read more here.

Taiwan Index Plus (TIP) has launched "IR Engage Platform 2.0," an upgraded version of its investor relations platform designed to help investors quickly assess Taiwan-listed companies and their investment value. Read more here.

The news from the TWSE: https://twmonthly.twse.com.tw/
Follow TWSE on LinkedIn to stay informed.

Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance: Taiwan’s Asset Management Hub Enters Its Next Phase: Taiwan is advancing its ambition to become a leading asset management hub in Asia, supported by regulatory reform, growing assets under management, and stronger links with global capital.
Speaking at the Financial Development and Outlook Seminar, President Lai Ching-te highlighted Taiwan’s abundant domestic capital and globally competitive industries as key foundations for expanding its financial and asset management capabilities.

As of June 2026, Taiwan’s financial sector managed NT$46 trillion in assets, approximately NT$14 trillion more than before the initiative was launched. President Lai noted that the initiative, advanced by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) under Chairperson Dr. Jin-Lung Peng, is now entering its next phase. Read more here.

Follow TABF for insights into Taiwan’s financial market on LinkedIn.

Dubai International Financial Centre: How will next-generation financial cities shape the future of global business? Join DIFC and Asia House for an exclusive webinar launching Next Generation Business Cities, the final Future of Finance 2026 report. Drawing on insights from Dubai, one of the world's top 10 financial centres, a panel of experts will explore how leading cities are competing to attract capital, talent and innovation in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Date: Wednesday 25 November 2026
Time: 9:00 - 10:00am (UK time) / 1:00 - 2:00pm (Gulf Standard Time) / 5:00 - 6:00pm (HKT)
Online: Via Zoom (register your interest today).

Northeastern University London: Funded AI Leadership Training - Built for Senior Teams: As AI reshapes organisations, the leaders who can govern, adopt, and deliver it responsibly will set the pace for their firms. Northeastern University London's new AI Leadership apprenticeship units give your senior team exactly that capability - choose from AI Strategy & Opportunity (spotting where AI adds real value), AI Adoption, Procurement & Governance (building the business case and the right risk frameworks), or AI Delivery & Organisational Transformation (making AI part of your team's everyday operations).

Delivered online in just 5 weeks, with hands-on work using tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude, and backed by a portfolio-based assessment (no exams). Levy-paying employers can fund units entirely from their levy pot; SMEs get 100% government funding.

Cohorts open for January and April 2027 - spaces are limited. Get in touch at apprenticeships@nulondon.ac.uk or visit this link to learn more.

Bridgeworks: Beyond Bandwidth: The Hidden Storage Costs of Poor WAN Performance in Backup and Replication: IT teams often recognise the impact that bandwidth has on storage, yet many of them fail to address and quantify it. This includes the hidden cost of poor wide area network (WAN) performance. When backup copies, remote replication and disaster recovery workflows are slowed down by latency and packet loss, the problems aren’t limited to missed transfer speeds. It affects larger infrastructure spending, creates longer backup windows, leads to overly provisioned connectivity, delayed recovery and greater operational risks. Regulatory compliance can fail, too. Read the full publication here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We currently have opportunities available to partner with Z/Yen as a sponsor for our ongoing research into the development of financial centres. If you may be interested in sponsorship of the Smart Centres Index, please get in touch with Mike Wardle.

Pamphleteers Blog

The Pamphleteers Blog features considered thoughts – somewhere between a knee-jerk editorial and a full-blown piece of research. "Write for today and not for tomorrow."

Made Me Think
Christopher Gleadle

Why Systemic Stability Is Becoming A Greater Draw Than Incentives in Global Capital Markets

Of Great Interest
Aleksandra Paravina

My Hovercraft Is Full Of Eels – AI And The Preservation Of Minority Languages

Best Of The Finanser

Stirred My Thoughts:

The Internet Has An Identity Problem
Grabbed My Attention:
Banks Trust AI … Banks Don’t Trust AI

Membership & Sponsorship

FS Club is the premier global executive knowledge network for technology and finance professionals. Great events, research, and social functions build a buzz for Members and a valuable partnership for Sponsors. Membership of the FS Club is a great way to enhance your professional development, grow your network and profile, and get backing for your ideas, contact: sasha_davis@zyen.com