March 24, 2025
Fides Treasury Services is the undisputed leader in multibank connectivity, payments, and transaction communications, with a history going back more than 100 years and a string of awards and recognition for its solutions. Serving over 4,000 clients with connections to 13,000 financial institutions worldwide, Fides enables businesses to achieve efficiency, transparency, and security in their financial operations.
Fides is now being steered by François Schnyder, who joined the bank connectivity firm as CEO in late 2024 after an illustrious 30-year career in the banking and finance industry. As he reflects on his first few months in this role, Schnyder shares his insights and thoughts on the company and his ambitions for the future.
Fides: A Legacy of Leadership in a Competitive Market
Fides holds the number one position in the global multibank connectivity space, most recently receiving recognition from Treasury Management International (TMI) for “Best Bank Connectivity Solution”, named “Best Cross-Border Payments Solution for Corporates” by Global Finance, and called out as a key part of customer Autoneum’s Adam Smith Award.
The launch of Fides ONEHub in early 2024 marked a significant milestone for the company, providing businesses with centralized, advanced capabilities to optimize treasury workflows and scale their operations. However, maintaining this market leadership requires constant investment and innovation. Schnyder acknowledges this challenge and sees it as an opportunity for growth.
Another area where Fides truly stands out is its unique dual-BIC service offering (Corporate BIC and Financial BIC), designed to help corporates bridge gaps in Swift SCORE readiness. “Fides is one of the very few bank connectivity providers that not only acts as a Swift Service Bureau, but also offers clients access to over 13,000 counterparty banks through a dual-BIC setup, via Fides’ own Financial BIC” says Schnyder. “This combined capability is a key differentiator for us — enabling our clients to execute seamless, cost-efficient global payments while ensuring complete cash visibility and global reach, which is a top priority for today’s treasury teams.”
Innovation and Investment: The Keys to Sustained Success
For Schnyder, the path to sustained market leadership is clear: continuous investment in infrastructure and innovation.
Maintaining a leadership position can be demanding, between industry consolidation, an ever-changing regulatory landscape, and technology fragmentation, Schnyder says the Fides team must constantly stay on top of many moving parts. The company also periodically undergoes an IT renewal cycle to ensure its technology is best-of-breed.
“Ensuring continued security and maintaining the unparalleled service quality Fides customers expect while simultaneously keeping the IT renewal cycle running smoothly, developing new products and rolling out enhancements is vital,” Schnyder stresses. “Customer satisfaction is our number one goal, and to deliver the best we need to keep our technology infrastructure modern.”
One of the areas where Fides is proud to help customers is with bank formats and facilitating connectivity to the latest market practice FINplus, enabling corporates to exchange treasury messages over the newest ISO 20022 standard via uninterrupted end-to-end communication. This ensures secure and seamless processing of sensitive payment messages where time matters, such as cross-border, high-value, or urgent payments. Most recently, Fides has helped ensure its clients understand the value of XML while leading adoption and migration efforts. The firm has officially achieved ISO 20022 migration readiness and is listed in the Swift ISO 20022 Payments Initiation Rulebook as first Multibanking provider worldwide.
A Culture of Collaboration and Client-Centricity
One of the things Schnyder finds particularly valuable at Fides is the company culture. “Creating and promoting a positive culture is very important to everyone at Fides,” he explains. “We hire numerous people who are experts in highly specialized fields. They want an entrepreneurial setup, where things move fast. Unlike larger organizations, we have quick decision-making processes, which allows us to be agile and responsive to client needs.”
This culture of collaboration extends to how Fides interacts with its clients. “Our teams work together seamlessly, like all the parts of a Swiss watch,” Schnyder explains. “From IT developers and project managers to sales and client support, every part of the organization is aligned to deliver excellence.”
Customer-centricity is a cornerstone of Fides’s philosophy. “We have more than 4,000 clients and handle a payment volume of over $6 trillion annually,” Schnyder says. “Fides has been in business for more than 100 years. Over those years our focus has evolved and will continue to evolve. It’s ultimately all about creating win-win situations where both Fides and our clients succeed.”
Looking Ahead: Ambitions for 2025 and Beyond
As Schnyder looks to the future, his vision for Fides is both ambitious and focused, with geographic expansion and continued innovation being top of mind.
“We’re exploring opportunities to extend our presence in the U.S., Middle East, and Asia,” Schnyder reveals. “However, any expansion must be done thoughtfully, ensuring that we can continue to deliver the high level of service our clients expect.”
Innovation will also remain a key focus area. Schnyder envisions extending Fides’s newly launched cash pooling solutions to a broader client base and exploring opportunities to whitelabel its products for other banks and external asset managers. “We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance our offerings and stay ahead of the curve,” he says.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key focus for us, and we’re approaching it with a carefully crafted strategy,” explains Schnyder. “We are evaluating AI-driven solutions—leveraging both established market tools and integrating them with our own innovations—to proactively manage risks and ensure the secure and responsible delivery of AI.”
As a customer-centric organization, we work closely with our clients throughout every implementation, conducting thorough assessments to ensure that AI aligns with their unique needs and long-term strategic goals. Our focus remains on delivering solutions that create real value and directly address the specific challenges our clients face.”
Innovation Inspired by Balance
Schnyder believes stepping away from work is essential for fostering innovation. A passionate mountaineer, cyclist, and pianist, he finds clarity and inspiration in these pursuits, which demand complete focus and provide a valuable reset. “Whether climbing, cycling, or playing the piano, these activities help me recharge and maintain a fresh perspective,” he explains.
In his first months at Fides, Schnyder has developed a deep appreciation for the company’s strengths and a clear vision for its future. As he leads Fides into 2025 and beyond, he aims to build on its legacy while driving innovation and growth.
