News

On October 27-28, the Nordic and Baltic banking and payments community gathers in Copenhagen for MoneyLIVE Nordic Banking, and 421 will be there. Ahead of the event, we sat down with Senior Manager Cecilia Guthreus and Associate Manager Jannika Gustafsson, both of whom will attend, to hear what they hope to learn and which conversations they’re looking forward to.

When a bank undergoes major transformation, clear and effective internal communication is essential. With experience in communicating complex change across large-scale transformation programs, 421’s Emma Wadmark knows how to connect strategic decisions with the people responsible for turning them into reality. In this interview, she discusses how the right expertise can help organizations navigate transformation successfully, from early planning to post-go-live.

Sweden’s direct debit infrastructure has quietly powered everyday payments for decades. From utility bills and insurance premiums to subscriptions and loan repayments, Autogiro has become one of the most business-critical payment services in the Swedish market. Following years of limited product innovation for Autogiro, change is now on the way.

At NextGen Nordics 2026, the conversations felt both grounded and speculative. It was indeed a gathering of an industry caught between maintaining yesterday’s infrastructure and imagining tomorrow’s possibilities.

As PSR and PSD3, parts of the European Commission's proposed Payment Services Package move closer to finalization, 2026 is set to be a defining year for banks' readiness to navigate a highly complex regulatory transformation that is soon to become a reality. 2026 will require a dedicated focus on analysis and planning, understanding what needs to be done and why.

When you ask Associate Manager Jannika Gustafsson what makes her work exciting, she doesn’t hesitate. It’s the change and variety within Payments, a field that is constantly evolving and connected to every part of the financial ecosystem. With experience across commercial, regulatory, and tech-driven initiatives, Jannika’s leadership brings structure, clarity, and momentum to banks undergoing transformation.

Over the past decade, Nordic banks have rapidly expanded their digital ecosystems. Instant payments, cloud platforms, and open banking have enabled new services but also introduced new exposure. In the middle of this shift is Joakim Nilsson, Senior Consultant and Partner at 421, who helps banks strengthen their resilience against cyber threats and operational disruptions.

Last week, five of our consultants visited the annual event NextGen Nordics in Stockholm, hosted by FinExtra. The event brings together Nordic stakeholders within the Payments landscape – from banks and authorities to PSPs and FinTech companies. Some of the included themes were VoP/CoP, DORA, Open Finance, and regulation vs. innovation. In this article, we want to highlight our key takeaways from the events and what we believe will be important moving forward.

Earlier this week, Niclas Lindblom and Cecilia Guthreus participated at the EBAday in Lisbon, Portugal. It is an annual summit for bankers and stakeholders within payments and transactions, as well as representatives from the regulators. In this short interview, Niclas and Cecilia share their insights from the two-day conference.