With over two decades of experience in the financial industry, Daniel Amsenius has become the link between banks’ IT and business. At 421, he helps our clients navigate complex transformation projects, bringing together both different departments and wills.
One of the most common challenges during a large-scale transformation project is aligning the IT department with business operations and fostering mutual understanding. This gap often slows down progress, as business stakeholders struggle to translate their needs into technical requirements, while IT teams may miss the bigger picture of business goals. Banks need someone who understands both sides. At 421, that person is our Senior Manager, Daniel Amsenius. Most recently, he held one of the leading roles in a project at the Swedish Central Bank, driving the migration from the MT payment standard to ISO 20022. His experience stretches all the way back to the early 2000s, where his career within the finance industry first took off. Over the years, he has worked both behind the scenes with system changes and testing, as well as an agile product owner, business analyst, and project manager.
My work has always been related to Payments and its surrounding services and processes, whether it is foreign exchange, equities, fixed income, or clearing systems. Early in my career, I was involved in several development and transformation projects, working both as an operator and in the back office as an SME and tester, says Daniel.
“Wait and see is never an option”
Efficiency improvements and transformations have been a recurring theme throughout Daniel’s career. From FX, fixed income, and equities system replacements to hands-on settlement, feasibility studies for the EMIR regulation, and interpreting SWIFT’s annual standard releases. And most recently, the migration to ISO 20022. He has not only witnessed the evolution within back office and Payments but has also been an active part of driving it forward.
I have seen banks move from manual backend processes to automating large parts of their operations, to enormous benefit. That kind of improvement work is still what drives me today. My starting point has always been that every mistake costs money, and if there is a better way to do something, then we should do it. For example, letting a system take control to reduce the risk of human errors.
Daniel’s unique experience from both IT and business has made him a natural leader, capable of bringing the two sides together in critical transformation projects. In his most recent assignment for the Swedish Central Bank, he has, among other things, trained personnel in ISO 20022, defined and managed test scope and requirements, and carried out business process modeling. Beyond aligning internal departments at the Central Bank, he has also successfully unified the wider testing community.
Collaboration and active participation are key in any large-scale project involving a central party and multiple stakeholders. Everyone must be engaged and aligned. Wait and see is never an option, as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I took on the responsibility of bringing the participating banks in the testing community together, and I am proud of what we achieved as one team.
Shorter settlements, higher demands
Daniel is now looking ahead to upcoming changes in the Payments market. Among them is the proposal to shorten the settlement cycle for EU transactions in transferable securities from two days to one, which is due to be completed in 2027.
Moving to a single-day settlement cycle is an important step for the market. It will make processes more efficient and reduce risk, but it also places higher demands on the participants. Tighter timelines, more automation, and stronger collaboration across borders will be essential, and I see that as both a challenge and an opportunity.
How well is your organization prepared for the upcoming changes? Contact us and let’s find the best way ahead.
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