When I came up with the idea of ExpeditionFinance in 2018, I was at an inflection point in my career. I had worked for Deutsche Bank for almost 25 years – and more than two decades as an equity derivatives front office trader – when I was asked to change roles. I thought: ‘What am I going to do with my future?’ ‘How will the future of the financial industry look and how can I be part of it?’

An idea started growing: Why not discover the trends that are moving the financial sector globally?

In 2020, Deutsche Bank celebrated its 150th anniversary, which provided a perfect opportunity to learn more about the roots of the Global Hausbank and discover the world of financial services. My goal was to gain new insights, feel inspired and inspire people that are interested in finance – be it clients, colleagues or students who are interested in a financial services career.

“My goal was to gain new insights, feel inspired and inspire people that are interested in finance”

The bank gave it a try and after a year of developing, planning and teaming up with an external film director with a journalism background, the format ExpeditionFinance was launched on LinkedIn in 2020. Four years later, we have now produced more than 150 video clips on topics that impact corporate and retail clients. We have looked at how technological innovations such as blockchain, crypto or artificial intelligence are changing banking, and we’ve reported on how autonomous vehicles are transforming mobility and looked at initiatives driving the net zero transition.

Jürgen Schmitt and Anna Schwering, Global Working Capital Structuring, Deutsche Bank

Our very first clip was on pay-per-use, a concept most of us will know from our daily life – for example, if you are renting a car, you only pay for it while you are using it. But how can this concept be replicated in the corporate space? The clip explains the advantages of pay-per-use, drawing on the example of a construction company which does not need to buy a crane to build a house but pays a fee for each day it is in action, measured via sensors. This model obviously also changes payments and funding for the crane and, therefore, is a topic of interest for the financial sector.

ExpeditionFinance has turned into a success story with more than 10,000 followers on LinkedIn, but the start was tough. As we kicked off in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to improvise. For example, our clip on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – a unique cryptographic token that exists on a blockchain and represents digital or real-world items like artwork – had to be filmed during a barbecue in a park. A maximum of four people were allowed to gather at the time. We were three.

Jürgen with Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives, at COP26

Due to the pandemic, we also had to postpone all foreign travel. Ultimately, our first trip abroad turned into a road movie to Glasgow in October 2021, where we visited the UN climate conference COP26. Travelling via London, Cambridge and Newcastle upon Tyne by electric vehicle (EV), we learned a lot about the hurdles associated with emission-free mobility.

One year later, in 2022, we were able to do our first “big” trip to Asia, visiting Singapore where we produced a clip on the Singpass, a digital identity which allows every Singapore citizen to access 2,000 public and private services online – such as internet banking or managing their insurance policies.

In 2023, we travelled to the US. Before we arrived in New York, I posted on LinkedIn that we would be coming to produce new clips – then the magic happened. An employee of Mastercard spontaneously invited me to the credit card provider’s headquarters and asked me if we would be interested in joining their innovation lab, and possibly making a film. Surprised and pleased I said “yes, of course.” Two days later, we met and produced a clip on how shopping via eye-tracking works. I was able to test it and got an impression of how easy shopping and payments can be using this method.

Sometimes you do not need to search for the stories. Sometimes your network just brings them to you. That is the magic of social media and an active community which offers ideas and potential topics. And that is what makes the format creative and offers direct insights.

ExpeditionFinance is not just about topics, it is also about getting in touch with people. Funny story: when we filmed in Sydney, a young guy came across and asked in German: “Hey, are you Jürgen from Deutsche Bank?” – he was a student spending a semester in Australia and he knew our format.
In New York, we entered the subway and a guy said, “Hey, you are the German guy with the edutaining films” – he was a colleague working in our American branch, but we had never met before in our lives.

The journey goes on. We plan to expand the financial literacy topic, offering insights and education around debt, budgeting, saving and investing. So, join the expedition and discover financial trends around the globe. Do you want to participate? Follow us and let us know your ideas. Maybe you will soon be part of this journey format yourself?

Follow the journey!

View Jurgen’s latest clips on LinkedIn and become part of ExpeditionFinance