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Philippe A. De Backer

Senior Advisor

Philippe has 25+ years of experience with strategy consulting in financial services, with a recognized track record of helping change-oriented senior executives and boards transform their financial institutions.

Philippe A. De Backer

Areas of Focus

Education

Tuck School (Dartmouth)
Master of Business Administration
Colgate University
BA (Magna Cum Laude & Phi Beta Kappa)

Past Experience

Bain & Company
Partner
Korn Ferry International
Global Head, Financial Services

Philippe A. De Backer

Philippe, based in Dubai, is a Senior Advisor at Arthur D. Little, part of the global Financial Services Practice. He is a core member of the Growth Practice.

Philippe is a thought leader in: 

  • Corporate strategy and strategic planning/implementation
  • Investment & capital deployment/fundraising strategy
  • Business and operating models 
  • Organizational design and effectiveness
  • Mergers & acquisitions

Prior to joining Arthur D. Little, Philippe worked for Bain & Company, where he served as Partner & Global Head of Financial Services. He worked in leadership positions in its Boston, Brussels, Paris, and Dubai offices. From 1993 to 2016, he supported clients across many geographies, with particular emphasis on large-scale bank transformations.

In addition to his consulting experience, Philippe founded a New York-based investment firm and successfully IPO a large SPAC with BlackRock on NASDAQ to deploy growth capital in domestic US community banks.
 
Philippe holds an MBA from Tuck School at Dartmouth and a BA from Colgate University. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is fluent in French, Dutch, and English.

Philippe has published several books on management and financial services and is widely published. 
 
Philippe is married and has four children. In his free time, he is an avid skier and passionate Asian art collector.

EMBEDDED INVESTMENT, EMBEDDED WEALTH
Financial services
EMBEDDED INVESTMENT, EMBEDDED WEALTH
Embedded finance is transitioning from being a mere concept to a force that could substantially influence our evolving financial services landscape. Among embedded forms of payments, lending, and insurance, both embedded investments and wealth are expected to play pivotal roles, offering insights into future developments in personal finance. This Viewpoint examines the wider topic of embedded finance from multiple lenses and delves into the origins, evolution, and prospective trajectory of embedded investments and wealth, highlighting the intertwined relationship with embedded savings.
Find out more
LEVERAGING AI TO TRANSFORM BANKING SALES
Financial services
LEVERAGING AI TO TRANSFORM BANKING SALES
The physical branch has been the primary sales channel for traditional banks, even as the broader business increasingly becomes digitalized. However, decreased foot traffic, digitally savvy consumers, competitive threats, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology transformation all challenge the status quo, demanding the digitalization of marketing and sales. Given the complexity of the value chain, this requires transformational change. This Viewpoint sets out an eight-stage approach to delivering digital sales success for banks.
Find out more
Delivering inclusive growth
Financial services
Delivering inclusive growth
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries enjoy a remarkably small shadow economy. Their informal businesses account for 18% of GDP, below the world average (~28%), and close to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (~15%). However, bringing shadow businesses into the formal economy is a priority. This Viewpoint shares recent initiatives and explores options for shrinking the shadow economy and expanding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by increasing economic and financial inclusion.
Find out more
Banks as facilitators of everyday life
Financial services
Banks as facilitators of everyday life
The future of banking looks increasingly different, with new business models emerging on the back of digitalization, interconnectivity, and the availability and use of rich data. In this Viewpoint, we focus on “beyond banking,” compare it to other open banking–based business models, and point out possible engagement opportunities. We share examples and potential strategies and conclude with questions to help determine the right approach for your institution.
Find out more
Pursuing excellence in corporate banking
Financial services
Pursuing excellence in corporate banking
Philippe A. De Backer
In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), assets of corporate banking are three times larger than those of retail. Yet GCC banks focus their corporate external communication primarily on the consumer segment. A number of challenges and opportunities exist today that illustrate the increasing importance of the corporate segment for banks. This Viewpoint reviews the impacts of recent disruptions and explores options for banks to strengthen and grow their corporate and investment banking (CIB) business.
Find out more
Disruption — Can banks strike back?
Financial services
Disruption — Can banks strike back?
Philippe A. De Backer
So said John Reed, the former Chairman and CEO of Citigroup, as far back as 2015, at a time when global banks across the world were starting to pare back their international operations in response to increasing regulation. The decline of the traditional global bank has only accelerated since then. The newly emerged digital native and “neobank” competitors are now in favor. Their state-of-the-art digital technology, lower-cost structure, lower capital requirements, and greater flexibility in introducing products render them nimbler and more adaptable to changing consumer demands.
Find out more

Philippe A. De Backer

Philippe, based in Dubai, is a Senior Advisor at Arthur D. Little, part of the global Financial Services Practice. He is a core member of the Growth Practice.

Philippe is a thought leader in: 

  • Corporate strategy and strategic planning/implementation
  • Investment & capital deployment/fundraising strategy
  • Business and operating models 
  • Organizational design and effectiveness
  • Mergers & acquisitions

Prior to joining Arthur D. Little, Philippe worked for Bain & Company, where he served as Partner & Global Head of Financial Services. He worked in leadership positions in its Boston, Brussels, Paris, and Dubai offices. From 1993 to 2016, he supported clients across many geographies, with particular emphasis on large-scale bank transformations.

In addition to his consulting experience, Philippe founded a New York-based investment firm and successfully IPO a large SPAC with BlackRock on NASDAQ to deploy growth capital in domestic US community banks.
 
Philippe holds an MBA from Tuck School at Dartmouth and a BA from Colgate University. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is fluent in French, Dutch, and English.

Philippe has published several books on management and financial services and is widely published. 
 
Philippe is married and has four children. In his free time, he is an avid skier and passionate Asian art collector.

EMBEDDED INVESTMENT, EMBEDDED WEALTH
Financial services
EMBEDDED INVESTMENT, EMBEDDED WEALTH
Embedded finance is transitioning from being a mere concept to a force that could substantially influence our evolving financial services landscape. Among embedded forms of payments, lending, and insurance, both embedded investments and wealth are expected to play pivotal roles, offering insights into future developments in personal finance. This Viewpoint examines the wider topic of embedded finance from multiple lenses and delves into the origins, evolution, and prospective trajectory of embedded investments and wealth, highlighting the intertwined relationship with embedded savings.
Find out more
LEVERAGING AI TO TRANSFORM BANKING SALES
Financial services
LEVERAGING AI TO TRANSFORM BANKING SALES
The physical branch has been the primary sales channel for traditional banks, even as the broader business increasingly becomes digitalized. However, decreased foot traffic, digitally savvy consumers, competitive threats, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology transformation all challenge the status quo, demanding the digitalization of marketing and sales. Given the complexity of the value chain, this requires transformational change. This Viewpoint sets out an eight-stage approach to delivering digital sales success for banks.
Find out more
Delivering inclusive growth
Financial services
Delivering inclusive growth
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries enjoy a remarkably small shadow economy. Their informal businesses account for 18% of GDP, below the world average (~28%), and close to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (~15%). However, bringing shadow businesses into the formal economy is a priority. This Viewpoint shares recent initiatives and explores options for shrinking the shadow economy and expanding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by increasing economic and financial inclusion.
Find out more
Banks as facilitators of everyday life
Financial services
Banks as facilitators of everyday life
The future of banking looks increasingly different, with new business models emerging on the back of digitalization, interconnectivity, and the availability and use of rich data. In this Viewpoint, we focus on “beyond banking,” compare it to other open banking–based business models, and point out possible engagement opportunities. We share examples and potential strategies and conclude with questions to help determine the right approach for your institution.
Find out more
Pursuing excellence in corporate banking
Financial services
Pursuing excellence in corporate banking
Philippe A. De Backer
In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), assets of corporate banking are three times larger than those of retail. Yet GCC banks focus their corporate external communication primarily on the consumer segment. A number of challenges and opportunities exist today that illustrate the increasing importance of the corporate segment for banks. This Viewpoint reviews the impacts of recent disruptions and explores options for banks to strengthen and grow their corporate and investment banking (CIB) business.
Find out more
Disruption — Can banks strike back?
Financial services
Disruption — Can banks strike back?
Philippe A. De Backer
So said John Reed, the former Chairman and CEO of Citigroup, as far back as 2015, at a time when global banks across the world were starting to pare back their international operations in response to increasing regulation. The decline of the traditional global bank has only accelerated since then. The newly emerged digital native and “neobank” competitors are now in favor. Their state-of-the-art digital technology, lower-cost structure, lower capital requirements, and greater flexibility in introducing products render them nimbler and more adaptable to changing consumer demands.
Find out more

More About Philippe
  • Tuck School (Dartmouth)
    Master of Business Administration
  • Colgate University
    BA (Magna Cum Laude & Phi Beta Kappa)
  • Bain & Company
    Partner
  • Korn Ferry International
    Global Head, Financial Services