EP 161: Demystifying Asset Finance, Building Societies, and the Future of Banking Technology

In this episode, Dharm sits down with Eric Bierry, CEO of SBS, to explore two often-overlooked areas of financial services: asset finance and the future of building societies. Drawing on decades of experience in banking technology, Eric shares his insights into how these sectors are adapting to artificial intelligence, tokenisation, and changing customer expectations.

The conversation begins with Eric’s journey in financial software and the growth of SBS into a global provider of technology solutions for banks, lenders, and financial institutions. He explains how the company has evolved and why innovation remains critical in an increasingly competitive market.

A major focus of the discussion is asset finance and the role it plays behind the scenes of industries such as automotive, agriculture, aviation, and heavy equipment. Eric explains how asset finance differs from traditional lending because the value of the underlying asset remains central to the financing decision. He also provides an overview of wholesale finance, where dealerships and distributors secure funding to finance inventory before assets reach consumers.

Technology’s growing impact on asset finance is another key theme. Eric highlights how automation, AI, machine learning, and digital auditing are helping lenders make faster decisions, improve risk management, reduce fraud, and create more efficient financing processes. The pair also discuss tokenisation and how digital representations of assets could simplify cross-border financing and fleet management in the future.

The conversation then turns to building societies and the challenges they face in keeping pace with large banks and fintechs. Eric argues that while smaller institutions may struggle to fund major technology investments alone, collaboration and shared infrastructure could help them remain competitive. He believes their long-term strength lies in combining modern digital capabilities with deep local knowledge and trusted customer relationships.

Artificial intelligence features heavily throughout the discussion, with Eric explaining why generative AI is likely to deliver more immediate value than agentic AI for building societies. Rather than replacing people, he sees AI as a tool to enhance decision-making, improve customer service, and help institutions focus on their core mission of supporting members and helping people access property ownership.

The episode also explores tokenised money, digital payments, and th