FIT Centre Launches A Professional Certificate in Finance, Innovation and Technology

Munich, Germany, February 13, 2023 –  The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (FIT Centre) announced the launch of its cutting-edge certificate program which gives finance professional the skills they need to stay relevant in an ever-evolving technological landscape. Exams are adjudicated and the certificate is issued by the prestigious Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. 

The announcement follows a historic event which took place at the Allianz headquarters on December 2, 2022 which brought together members from insurance companies, pension plans, consulting and technology companies, all of whom will be sending prominent employees to the training program. With instructors from the University of Toronto in Canada, TUM in Germany, ETH in Switzerland, FIU in Florida, ANU in Australia, and many others, the certificate is issued by Canada’s Fields Institute, which is renowned for its leadership in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning and many other applications of fundamental mathematics in industry. 

“Just like computers need an operating system upgrade,” says Prof. Luis Seco, Director of the Mathematical Finance Program at the University of Toronto, “finance professionals also need an upgrade given the speed of developments in the financial industry today, many of which are closely linked to technology and innovation.” The event included keynotes by Tim Friederich of AllianzGI and Dr. Gerhard Stahl, Chief Risk Officer of the Talanx group, who presented a modern overview of financial companies’ needs and highlighted the role that the FIT Certificate plays in keeping employees — present and future — fully functional in dealing with the challenges arising from the shifting needs of the industry, and the need for real-world business case studies. 

“The FIT launch event was a great success, and we are excited to see the FIT Program starting,” says Peter Wiedmann of KPMG Germany. “Besides giving participants the opportunity to gain certification in relevant financial industry topics, the FIT Program also allows them to enlarge their international network and to learn from their peers about trends and challenges.” 

“The skillset required to be successful in the world of asset management and finance is continuously evolving. We see quantitative skills becoming more and more important, both for our talent and for us as a company overall,” says Tim Friederich, Head of risklab at Allianz Global Investors. “We as risklab are embodying how to apply the newest academic research to solve practical problems, with the goal of ultimately helping our clients achieve their investment objectives. It’s why we’re excited about the cutting-edge FIT program which combines new areas like data science and machine learning with financial engineering and technology.”