Michael Bernard

Vancouver

Contributor at Vancouver Sun

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Articles

Innovation in Banking and Payments, 2025

1 week ago | celent.com | Michael Bernard

Leading institutions have leveraged advanced technology, modernized their foundation and platforms, and delivered significantly enhanced customer propositions over the past year. Taking insights from our Model Bank program this year, Celent sees the most successful banks mastering the innovation formula, to deliver the next era of digital experiences. During Celent's Innovation & Insight Day on June 18th, we welcomed a wide audience and our team of banking analysts discussed these themes in depth.
Announcing the Celent Model Bank 2025 Award Winners

1 week ago | celent.com | Michael Bernard

The Celent Model Bank Awards Program is globally recognized, highlighting the most innovative initiatives across retail and corporate banking worldwide. Today, at our Innovation & Insight Day, we announced our 2025 Model Banks and published a full set of case studies and analyst-led highlight clips for each Model Bank. Our 2025 Model Bank of the Year, J.P Morgan, is also profiled in an extensive case study. Celent clients can access all full-length case studies.
Small Business Digital Banking Platforms: Europe, Middle East, Africa Edition

2 weeks ago | celent.com | Alenka Grealish |Bob Meara |Michael Bernard

Digital banking platform (DBP) capability has evolved significantly since Celent's 2022 vendor comparison. First, some leading functionality then has become table stakes today. Second, Celent finds new areas of differentiation emerging, including new models that represent a clear divergence from the offerings of just two years ago. As a result, choosing a new DBP today will be far more impactful on a financial institution’s future success than in years past.
Review: Careless People

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Michael Bernard

A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost IdealismOver the last 15 years, Facebook (now Meta) and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been called to testify before the U.S. Congress more than any other CEO heading one of the U.S. tech giants. Zuckerberg’s appearances in front of Congress, started well before the Cambridge Analytica scandal and continue to this day.
Sam & Jony introduce io

1 month ago | medium.com | Michael Bernard

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is gifted with the ability to make people believe in magical thinking. Four days ago, OpenAI released a video of Altman and Jony Ivy, a legendary designer at Apple for designing products that landed in the hands of billions across the globe and changed the world. Altman and Ivy, planted inside a well-known restaurant in San Francisco, tell us about their admiration for one another and announce a new company named io.
The Democrats Brand Crisis

1 month ago | medium.com | Michael Bernard

Liberal Policies, Progressive Messaging, and Democratic DisharmonyThe Democratic Party brand is in disarray. More damning than that is knowing they’ve lost control of messaging for parts of their brand. How so? Their actions and policies point to one fact — the Democratic Party is liberal. Being a liberal is distinctly different from being a progressive.
Small Business Digital Banking Platforms: North America Edition - Solutions for Community Financial Institutions

1 month ago | celent.com | Alenka Grealish |Bob Meara |Michael Bernard

Digital banking platform (DBP) capability has evolved significantly since Celent's 2022 vendor comparison. First, some leading functionality then has become table stakes today. Second, Celent finds new areas of differentiation emerging, including new models that represent a clear divergence from the offerings of just two years ago. As a result, choosing a new DBP today will be far more impactful on a financial institution’s (FI) future success than in years past.
Small Business Digital Banking Platforms: North America Edition Solutions for Mid-sized to Large Banks

1 month ago | celent.com | Alenka Grealish |Bob Meara |Michael Bernard

Digital banking platform (DBP) capability has evolved significantly since Celent's 2022 vendor comparison. First, some leading functionality then has become table stakes today. Second, Celent finds new areas of differentiation emerging, including new models that represent a clear divergence from the offerings of just two years ago. As a result, choosing a new DBP today will be far more impactful on a financial institution’s (FI) future success than in years past.
Review: On Tyranny

2 months ago | medium.com | Michael Bernard

Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth CenturyOn Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century will surface contradictory feelings for most Black Americans. It summoned those very feelings within me. My family has a history dating back close to 200 hundred years in America on both sides. I am the descendant of enslaved Africans. I have family members who fought in the American Civil War. I also have family members who were enlisted in segregated regiments during World War I and II.
The Price of Tomorrow

2 months ago | medium.com | Michael Bernard

Member-only storyWhy Individual Creators Are Being Left BehindMichael Bernard·Follow5 min read·--Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019, Day 2. America’s deep in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy against China. The hundreds of billions being invested in OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, or allocated by Google and Meta are testaments to how much this battle means to the precious few with plans for dominating the world.