Claim OwnershipLeaders In Payments and FinTech - The EDC Podcast
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Join EDC’s hosts as they meet with a mix of leaders and practitioners at every level in the industry to learn what it actually takes to bridge the gap between strategy and execution and build a commercially viable business in the payments and fintech industry.
Episode links: https://www.edgardunn.com/theedcpodcast
Music by dayfox
Episode links: https://www.edgardunn.com/theedcpodcast
Music by dayfox
51 Episodes
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In this episode, Mark Beresford and Amine Saidi of Edgar, Dunn & Company talk with Erich Litch, General Manager of Payments Software, and Phil Bruno, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at ACI Worldwide, about how banks can modernize legacy platforms without risking a full-scale overhaul. From convergence across payment rails to the growing role of orchestration, they explain why modernization is no longer optional for financial institutions.
They also explore how real-time payments are reshaping global markets—from Brazil’s Pix to India’s UPI—while open banking creates new opportunities for value-added services. Erich and Phil share how AI and emerging agentic AI are being used to fight fraud, streamline transactions, and automate back-office tasks, helping banks compete with fintechs on speed and customer experience.
Join us as we explore how modernization, AI, and new payment models are redefining financial services worldwide.
In this episode:
Modernizing legacy banking platforms without full-scale replacement
Convergence across payment rails as a driver of efficiency and flexibility
Real-time payments adoption in Brazil, India, and the US
Open banking as an enabler of value-added services and innovation
AI in payments intelligence: fraud detection, transaction optimization, customer experience
Emerging role of agentic AI in automating back-office tasks
Stablecoins and cross-border crypto transfers as future payment options
Payments innovation’s potential for financial inclusion—and its cost challenges
Why traditional banks remain the backbone of global financial systems
Resources:
LinkedIn (Erich Litch): https://www.linkedin.com/in/erich-litch-500548
LinkedIn (Philip Bruno): https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-bruno
Website: https://www.aciworldwide.com
Jaya Vaidhyanathan, CEO of BCT Digital, and EDC Director Mark Beresford discuss the evolution of AI in financial services
In this episode, Mark Beresford, Director at Edgar, Dunn & Company, talks with Jaya Vaidhyanathan, CEO of BCT Digital, about how big data and AI are revolutionizing risk and compliance. From fraud prevention and real-time monitoring to climate risk modeling for insurers, Jaya explains how AI delivers insights beyond human capability and why it works best as a collaboration between machines and human judgment.
They also explore why we’re at an AI “inflection point,” what it means for the future of work, and how early adoption can keep you competitive. Jaya shares lessons from her own career—spanning investment banking, global consulting, and entrepreneurship—including navigating gender bias and building resilience in male-dominated industries.
Join us for a forward-looking conversation on AI’s role in reshaping financial services—and why the time to act is now.
In this episode:
Gender representation and challenges for women in tech, finance, and entrepreneurship
How big data fuels AI-driven risk and compliance solutions
Real-time fraud detection using AI and pattern matching
Applying AI to climate risk modeling for insurance
Why AI’s “inflection point” is comparable to the advent of the internet
AI as a collaboration between machine insights and human judgment
The impact of AI on the future of work and job roles
Importance of early adoption to stay competitive in financial services
Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaya-vaidhyanathan-26039510
Website: https://www.bctdigital.ai
In this episode, Greg Toussaint, Director at Edgar, Dunn & Company, chats with Jacques-Olivier Schatz, CEO of Xpollens. Jacques-Olivier unpacks what embedded payments really mean and how they’re showing up in everyday experiences—from travel reimbursements and instant payouts to crypto wallets and marketplaces. He shares how Xpollens helps companies bring payments directly into their user flows without compromising on security or compliance.
They talk about how regulation, often seen as a blocker, can actually drive innovation when built in from day one. Jacques-Olivier also shares why banks and fintechs need to work together, and what the rise of AI agents could mean for the future of payments.
Join us for a conversation on what’s changing in the payments space—and why embedded finance is more than just a buzzword.
In this episode:
Defining embedded payments from a “Banking-as-a-Service” perspective
Real-world use cases: travel, insurance, crypto, marketplaces, and gambling
How modular payment solutions create seamless, real-time user experiences
Regulation as an enabler—especially with the rise of e-invoicing in Europe
Building compliance, security, and automation into payment APIs from day one
Bridging the gap between fintech agility and bank robustness
The future role of AI agents in commerce and payments
Challenges ahead: security, consent, and responsibility in AI-driven transactions
Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-olivier-schatz-b3062720
Website: https://www.xpollens.com
In this episode, Mark Beresford sits down with Mike Carlo, CEO of XanderPay, and Rohan Shaju, Consultant at EDC, to delve into the hidden potential of hotel payment systems and the strategic changes reshaping the industry. Mike shares his insights on the transition from traditional property-level payments to innovative centralized systems. He reflects on the complexities of hotel ownership models and the advancements needed for seamless guest experiences.
Rohan provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities identified through his extensive research, including the role of centralization, AI, and payment orchestration in optimizing hotel revenue and customer satisfaction. Together, they explore the transformative power of centralized payment systems and the potential impact on the future of hospitality.
Join us as we explore the future of hotel payments, the technological innovations on the horizon, and the strategies hotels can implement today to stay ahead in a competitive industry.
In this episode, Volker Schloenvoigt meets with Kamran Hedjri, Group CEO of PXP, to explore the evolution of payment processing and the strategic transformations shaping the industry. Kamran shares his journey from software development to leading a global payments company, reflecting on the challenges of navigating ever-changing regulations, including the evolving PSD framework, and the growing complexity of cross-border payments. He discusses how PXP has embraced AI, real-time business intelligence, and intelligent payment routing to deliver a seamless and unified commerce experience.
Join us as we dive into the future of payments, the impact of regulatory shifts, and the innovations driving the next era of financial services.
In this episode, Mark Beresford, Head of the Retail and Hospitality Practice and Director in the London Office at Edgar Dunn & Company, speaks with Adam Katz, Founder & CEO of Kooltra, about the challenges and opportunities in foreign exchange (FX) and cross-border payments.
They explore how Kooltra provides infrastructure solutions for financial institutions, enabling them to streamline multi-currency operations, compliance, treasury, and transaction monitoring. Adam discusses why many banks and fintechs struggle to scale FX and cross-border payments, the impact of pricing competition, and how Kooltra helps firms modernize their infrastructure without costly in-house development.
Tune in for a deep dive into the future of FX infrastructure, the increasing complexity of treasury management, and strategies to optimize cross-border payments.
In this episode, Mark Beresford, Head of the Retail and Hospitality Practice, and Director in the London Office at Edgar Dunn & Company, speaks with Nitin Pulyani, Head of Product Development at Cashfree Payments, about India’s rapidly evolving digital payments ecosystem.
They discuss how Cashfree has positioned itself as a key enabler of seamless, API-driven payment solutions for businesses, addressing the country’s unique challenges and opportunities in online transactions, real-time payments, and regulatory shifts.The conversation explores India’s booming fintech landscape, the impact of UPI on innovation, and how Cashfree is driving financial inclusion while scaling its operations in a dynamic market.
Tune in for a deep dive into the future of payments in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.
In this episode, Jean Sideris, Director for the MENA region at Edgar Dunn & Company, speaks with Suryaveer Singh, Head of Loyalty, CRM and Data Analytics at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). Suryaveer shares his journey into the loyalty space and the development of Yes Rewards, ENOC's innovative loyalty program. They discuss the challenges of operating in a regulated fuel industry, strategies to drive customers toward higher-margin non-fuel services, and the importance of data protection and GDPR compliance.
Suryaveer highlights the success of Yes Rewards and reveals plans to expand the program through new partnerships, enhancing customer engagement and value beyond fuel services.
Join us for insights into loyalty, data, and payment innovations shaping the UAE’s dynamic retail market!
Each year, EDC's Advanced Payments and Fintech Report provides insights into the latest trends shaping the payments landscape. Now in its 17th edition, the report examines 14 key areas transforming the industry, driven by technological innovations, regulatory changes, and evolving consumer preferences. The report also includes findings from our annual industry survey conducted between May and July 2024, gathering insights from 100 senior payments professionals worldwide on the most pressing challenges and opportunities.
In this episode, Samee Zafar meets with Ralf Germer, Co-Founder and CEO of PagBrasil, to delve into the evolving landscape of payment processing in Brazil. Ralf shares his personal journey from Germany to becoming a fintech leader in Latin America and how PagBrasil is facilitating both local and international merchants in navigating Brazil’s sophisticated payments market. He discusses the unique challenges faced by global companies when entering the Brazilian market and how PagBrasil is bridging the gap by providing tailored payment solutions that meet local demands. We also explore how the Central Bank of Brazil’s openness to innovation has paved the way for advancements like Pix and the country’s rapid embrace of instant payments and digital currency. Join us as we uncover insights into the dynamic payments industry in one of the world’s most critical markets.
In this episode, Hugh Gallagher meets with Roenen Ben-Ami, Co-Founder and Chief Risk Officer at Justt. Justt is transforming the world of chargeback management with its AI-powered solution that helps businesses recover lost revenue and streamline operational efficiency. Roenen shares how Justt’s unique approach simplifies the chargeback process by automatically generating case-specific responses, allowing businesses to efficiently resolve disputes while focusing on growth and innovation. We also discuss the future of payments and how automation is playing a crucial role in shaping the industry.
In this episode of the Leaders in Payments and Fintech podcast, Jerome Traisnel, CEO and founder of SlimPay, discusses his extensive journey and insights in the fintech and payments industry. The conversation delves into the evolution of SlimPay, the first payment service provider focused exclusively on recurring payments, and its role in the rise of the subscription economy. Highlights include Jerome's background in engineering and marketing, his early ventures in mobile technology with Freever, and SlimPay's recent partnership with Trustly to set new standards for recurring payments across Europe and the UK. The episode also explores the challenges and strategies in scaling a fintech company, regulatory impacts, and the future landscape of payments and subscription services globally.
In this episode of the Leaders in Payments and Fintech podcast, James Neville, CEO, and founder of Yaspa, discusses his journey and insights in the fintech and payments industry. The conversation focuses on the evolution of Yaspa, a real-time payments business leveraging open banking technologies to reduce fraud, improve customer identification, and streamline transactions in regulated markets. Highlights include the impact of GDPR and FCA regulations, the challenges and strategies in consumer and merchant adoption, and future prospects for growth and innovation in the payments landscape globally.
This week we speak with Fliss Berridge, co-founder at Ordo - a UK fintech offering fully managed and white labelled open banking enabled payments services.
The company was founded by the former management team of the UK’s Faster Payments Scheme back in 2018 with a mission to use open banking payments to provide businesses with an alternative to card payments and direct bank payments.
In our conversation we discuss the latest developments in UK Open Banking, focusing on recent announcements by the JROC - Joint Regulatory Oversights Committee - on both commercial VRP-enabled services - that is Variable Recurring Payments, and the future Open Banking entity.
Some amazing insights here to bring you right up to date with UK Open Banking.
And before we dive into the conversation, I just would like to add that this is actually the last EDC podcast that I will be hosting. I will be moving on and handing you over to the rest of the EDC team for the next episode. So with that out of the way, let's get straight into the conversation with Fliss Berridge from Ordopay.
This week we speak with Hazal Muhtar, Director of Product Analytics at Wise.
Wise probably needs no introduction. Launched in 2011 under its original name TransferWise, it is one of the world’s fastest growing, profitable fintech companies and has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2021.
Hazal heads up a rapidly growing data analytics team at Wise, and in our conversation, we discuss various topics including the role of data analytics in product innovation in a highly regulated industry, the challenge of building data and technology teams around strategic business priorities, and key considerations when scaling teams.
This week we are meeting with Edy Bruinooge, CCO at IBANXS. The company was founded in 2019 in The Hague and has grown to become the leading Open Banking provider in the Netherlands. The company independent PSD2 platform connects clients with over 2,500 banks across Europe for Payments and/or Account Information. Clients live on the platform range from Payment Service Providers to Accounting Software companies to Lending and Factoring companies. Edy and his team have done an incredible job to both integrate with so many banks across Europe. The APIs all vary and the ongoing effort to maintain all these connections and deliver a consistent quality of services is not to be underestimated. We have a frank and honest discussion about the state of PSD2, PSD3 and Open Banking across Europe. Edy talks openly about the iBANXS journey and explains why he continues to be optimistic about the future of Open Banking in the EU.
This week we meet Shiraz Ritwik Head of Banking, Payments, Insurance sectors at LatentView Analytics. LatentView Analytics Ltd. is a fast-growing digital analytics firms that helps companies combine digital and traditional data to drive digital transformation and gain a competitive advantage. In our conversation we discuss how organisations can build and optimize their data strategies to unlock the full potential of their data, and how to define a data roadmap based on an organisation’s operational maturity. Shiraz shares some insightful case studies on how advanced analytics and AI can be used to streamline financial processes, prevent fraudulent transactions & gain a connected view of data from marketing campaigns. Some great tips and insights so I do hope you enjoy this conversation with Shiraz Ritwik from LatentView Analytics.
This week, we meet up with Sergio Fogel who calls in from Uruguay's capital city Montevideo. Sergio is co-founder co president and chief strategy officer of dLocal, which is Uruguay's leading FinTech. dLocal provides cross border payments, infrastructure, connecting global merchants to customers in emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Establish in 2016, dLocal has become Uruguay's first fintech unicorn, and only the second Uruguayan company to list on wall street, which it did in June 21. In our conversation, we discussed dLocal’s startup journey, Sergio explains how dLocal continues to grow and impact the lives of many in the emerging market that it connects. He also shares his view on the current market, and a lot more besides, so I do hope you enjoy this episode with Sergio Fogel from dLocal.
This week we are digging into low code technology with Dave Wyatt, Snr staff engineer at a large retailer. Dave is an expert Microsoft Power Platform Developer. The Power Platform is a fascinating and evolving platform. It’s a Azure cloud based platform that integrates Microsoft’s low-code solutions – Power BI, Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Pages - with Microsoft365 and Dynamics 365. It’s also where Microsoft’s co-pilot AI lives. It sounds and I think is a massive deal. I think its highly relevant to payments particularly when you think about digital transformation and finance automation. Automating the multitude of manual back-offices processes and replacing or at least upgrading the industry’s dependency on Excel. So, a lot to pay attention to in this podcast with David Wyatt. In our conversation we discuss how David got into engineering and low code software development via early experience in project management &implementation of bespoke IT solutions for business processes using SharePoint,Power Apps, Power Automate and Excel VBA. We discuss a lot besides, so I do hope you enjoy this conversation with David.
This week, we meet up with Caleb Avery, founder of Tilled which is a US based Payfac-as-a-Service provider. The company enables its customers to enjoy all the benefits of a fully registered payment facilitator program without the upfront cost, hassle, or liability. This model allows companies like software vendors, marketplaces, and SaaS providers to generate new revenue from accepting credit cards. In our conversation, we cover Caleb’s start up journey and discuss the state of the payment market and the increasing growth of the Payfac model and how it differs in the US and Europe
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