Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

Fraud is no longer just a downstream cleanup issue. It’s a direct result of cyber incidents that outpace our organizational structures. Siloed teams still overlook weak signals, coordinated attacks manage to get through, and losses grow across different channels. That’s why banking leaders need a new strategy: one that treats fraud and cybersecurity as a unified defense, sharing intelligence, standard procedures, and real-time decision-making. In this episode of Banking Transformed, we’ll explain how cyber-enabled fraud actually occurs, why traditional structures don’t work, and what it takes to stay ahead. We’ll also explore the GenAI factor, looking at how attackers are scaling deception and how banks can respond with smarter profiling and faster, smoother decision-making. Joining me is Laura Quevedo, Executive Vice President, Fraud & Decisioning Solutions at Mastercard, a leader at the center of payment resiliency, financial crime prevention, and risk decisioning. She will share how integrated teams and shared intelligence are changing outcomes for institutions worldwide. For banking leaders tasked with protecting their institutions and customers in this new era of converged threats, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for building truly resilient defenses. Because the question is no longer whether your fraud and cyber teams should work together, but how quickly you can make it happen.

Today, I’m excited to welcome Colton Pond and Simon Taylor, the visionary co-founders of Fintech NerdCon to the Banking Transformed podcast. Fintech NerdCon is an event with no meetings, no sales booths … just top-tier networking with fintech operators and builders. It’s what happens when a fintech passion, Comic-Con energy, and genuine community building come together. In this conversation, we’ll explore why they believe the fintech conference circuit needs disruption, how they’re creating a different kind of community experience, and what banks, fintechs, and ecosystem builders should focus on to succeed in the industry’s next phase. In addition, they provide an inside look into what will make this event different from any the banking industry has ever experienced.

Today, we're exploring one of banking's most vital yet often overlooked functions: corporate banking account analysis. Though it might not seem glamorous, this is where billions of dollars in revenue are gained or lost, and where the gap between a loyal corporate client and a frustrated one is often decided. Joining us on the Banking Transformed podcast is Dan Gill, Industry Analyst at Zafin, an AI-powered banking platform that's revolutionizing how banks handle pricing, billing, and customer relationships. In a time when corporate clients demand transparency and banks face challenges with legacy systems and scattered data, the account analysis function has become a key strategic area. We'll explore how modern AI and unified data platforms are addressing long-standing issues, including revenue loss, manual fee calculations, and unclear reporting that frustrates CFOs. Whether you're in banking, fintech, or simply interested in how corporate finance operates behind the scenes, this conversation will reveal the significant transformation underway in this field. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Zafin Zafin's Loyalty Rewards capability helps banks deepen customer engagement by rewarding behaviors across the entire banking journey, not just their transactions and spends. It offers behavior-based incentives, flexible point strategies, and personalized rewards, moving beyond traditional spend-based models. With seamless integration and real-time analytics, banks can optimize loyalty programs to enhance customer lifetime value and drive sustainable growth. Visit https://zafin.com/insights/banking-blueprints/?videos

Financial institutions are overwhelmed with customer data but lack meaningful insights. Banks and credit unions find it difficult to accurately identify their customers across scattered digital channels, monitor customer behavior from the initial contact to conversion, and demonstrate which marketing efforts truly produce results … all while complying with strict data privacy laws. Today on the Banking Transformed podcast, we're tackling these issues with Harmon Lyons, Vice President of Strategy and Market Development at TransUnion. We'll discuss full-funnel marketing strategies for financial services that blend brand awareness with acquisition tactics, achieving up to 40% improvements in identity completion. This allows banks and credit unions to finally demonstrate ROI and link marketing efforts directly to conversions. If you're a financial services marketer facing customer data fragmentation, attribution challenges, or privacy compliance concerns, this episode offers actionable strategies for enhancing campaign performance in 2025. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by TransUnion TransUnion brings clarity to marketing chaos by delivering a 360-degree view of your customer, helping you deepen your insights, accelerate your decision making, and better measure the impact of every marketing dollar. For more information: Bring Clarity to Chaos | TransUnion

Instant payments have officially entered the mainstream — but adoption is still uneven, and questions remain. How is FedNow performing more than a year after launch? What’s driving momentum, what’s holding institutions back, and what will it take for real-time payments to finally reach critical mass? In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Bernadette Ksepka, Senior Vice President and Deputy Head of Product Development for the Federal Reserve’s FedNow Service. We’ll explore how instant payments are reshaping financial interactions, debunk some of the biggest myths surrounding FedNow, and examine how financial institutions — from community banks to major players — can leverage this infrastructure for competitive advantage. From new use cases and fraud prevention to the economics of real-time liquidity, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at where the U.S. instant payments ecosystem stands today — and where it’s heading next. If your institution hasn’t yet activated “send,” this episode might just change your mind. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by FedNow The FedNow Service is an instant payment infrastructure developed by the Federal Reserve that allows eligible financial institutions to provide 24x7x365 instant payment services to stay competitive and meet customer demand. The network currently has about 1,500 participating financial institutions headquartered in all 50 states. For more information visit https://explore.fednow.org/

Against the backdrop of the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats, where speed records are broken and boundaries are pushed, Colton Pond joined me to interview three visionary banking leaders who are breaking through the traditional limitations of legacy core banking systems. This unique setting perfectly mirrors the conversation's theme: the need for financial institutions to accelerate their modernization journey and adopt a modular approach to the future. In this compelling episode of Banking Transformed, Kelli Keough from SoFi, Chris Black from Thread Bank, and Raphael Reznek from Mascoma Bank share their real-world experiences transitioning from monolithic legacy systems to specialized, modular architectures. They reveal why treating deposits, lending, and wealth management as distinct domains isn't just a technical decision ... it's a competitive imperative that can make product launches 40% more efficient. Whether you're a banking executive navigating modernization challenges, a fintech professional exploring infrastructure options, or simply curious about the future of financial services, this conversation offers practical insights from leaders who've successfully transitioned from legacy to modern, API-first platforms.

What if your business banking clients could ask a question, in plain English, and get an instant, intelligent answer? No spreadsheets. No manual reports. Just the client, their data, and AI working together. It sounds like science fiction, but it's happening right now. Grasshopper Bank has become the first U.S. bank to enable customers to connect their business banking data directly to Anthropic's Claude AI assistant, and the implications are staggering. We're joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by two visionaries who made it happen: Chris Tremont, Chief Digital Officer, and Pete Chapman, CTO of Grasshopper Bank. They'll reveal how they built a secure bridge between banking and artificial intelligence, why they raced to be first, and what this means for every banking organization in America. This is the conversation where the future of banking gets written. The companies that understand this shift will thrive. Those who don't will be left behind.

The future of banking isn't coming – it's already here. And yet, a staggering 46% of retail financial institutions admit they're either early in their digital transformation journey or still in planning stages. At the heart of this inertia lies a familiar bottleneck: legacy core systems. While over 90% of banks surveyed this year say digital transformation is either a “critical” or “high” priority, less than 10% believe their current core can fully support their goals. In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Sandeep Lalwani, Head of UST FinX, and Barry O’Connell, Managing Director, Americas for Thought Machine. Together, we examine the real-world consequences of delayed modernization – from constrained innovation to a stunted customer experience – and explore how a modular, coexistence-based core transformation can flip the script. This is the first episode in a new series, "Building the Future-Ready Bank", sponsored by UST FinX.

AI is rewriting how value is created and moved, digital assets are making finance programmable, and open banking is turning data into a competitive weapon. To become resilient, one must understand the collision between cutting-edge technology and centuries-old financial systems. How is open banking democratizing financial data? Why are some regions outpacing others in fintech innovation, while others lag behind? And what happens when AI agents start managing our money? I'm excited to welcome Ronit Ghose, Head of Future of Finance at Citi Institute and author of the groundbreaking book "Future of Money," to the Banking Transformed podcast, recorded at Money 20/20 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. From his unique perspective at one of the world's largest financial institutions, he has seen how technologies that seemed like science fiction a decade ago are now fundamentally transforming how money moves, how we bank, and how financial services operate across different continents. Whether you're a fintech founder, a traditional banker, or simply someone who wants to understand where money is heading in the next decade, this conversation will challenge how you think about the future of finance.

As we passed the midway point of 2025, we're witnessing a fascinating convergence: social media has become the new town square for financial decisions, mobile apps are overtaking traditional banking channels, and after years of digital self-service, Americans are seeking human financial advice at levels not seen since the 2008 crisis. Meanwhile, alternative financial options are experiencing an unexpected renaissance, and artificial intelligence stands at a critical inflection point between promise and practice. Welcome to today's episode of Banking Transformed, where we're diving deep into the seismic shifts reshaping the financial services landscape. I'm joined by Luke Allchin, Director of Research at RFI Global, who brings us groundbreaking insights from their latest MacroMonitor data tracking over 130 million US households. Luke's research reveals that 2026 won't just be another year of incremental change – it will be the year that separates digital natives from digital laggards, and where trust becomes the ultimate currency. Let's explore what financial institutions need to know to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape.

While most financial institutions see payment processing as just a commodity service, the smartest ones are realizing it's actually their secret weapon for strengthening commercial relationships, boosting non-interest income, and building real competitive advantages in a growing market. Here's what might surprise you: banks that excel at providing merchant services not only keep their clients longer but also become essential partners in their clients' success. Conversely, those that fail to do so unintentionally push profitable business relationships right into their competitors' hands. On this episode of Banking Transformed, I sit down with Brad Oddo, CEO of Basys, a payments partner known for award-winning support, a white-label approach, and an ability to unlock revenue and relationship potential for financial institutions of all sizes. We explore why merchant services are often overlooked, how banks can transform them into a strategic growth engine, and what the future holds for payments innovation. If your bank isn’t rethinking merchant services right now, you may be missing one of the most powerful levers for growth and retention. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Basys Basys is a privately held payment processor that helps banks grow commercial relationships and revenue through best-in-class merchant services. With award-winning support, flexible revenue share programs and an industry leading 75+ Net Promotor Score, Basys empowers financial institutions to deepen client loyalty, increase non-interest income and deliver seamless, branded payment solutions that strengthen their competitive edge. basyspro.com

In today’s rapidly changing financial landscape, traditional banking is no longer enough. Customers expect more than just accounts, loans, and transactions—they want personalized, real-time value delivered seamlessly across every touchpoint in their lives. That’s where ecosystem banking comes in. In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Mike Cook and Carson Kotnyek from Zafin to explore how banks can move beyond legacy limitations and become orchestrators of value. We’ll unpack what ecosystem banking truly means, why orchestration—not just innovation—is the new growth engine, and how financial institutions can remain relevant by delivering holistic solutions that meet customers wherever they are. If you want to understand how the future of banking is being built—not just in the branch, but in housing, health, commerce, and beyond—this conversation is your playbook. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Zafin Zafin's Loyalty Rewards capability helps banks deepen customer engagement by rewarding behaviors across the entire banking journey, not just their transactions and spends. It offers behavior-based incentives, flexible point strategies, and personalized rewards, moving beyond traditional spend-based models. With seamless integration and real-time analytics, banks can optimize loyalty programs to enhance customer lifetime value and drive sustainable growth. Visit zafin.com

In banking, every second matters. Fraud happens in milliseconds. Customers demand instant answers. And AI can only deliver value if it’s powered by live, real-time data. Yet many banks are still relying on batch reports and outdated systems, making decisions based on yesterday’s insights. The shift can’t wait. Forrester predicts that by 2025, half of all businesses will use AI-powered self-service as their primary customer touchpoint. That future won’t be possible without real-time data at the core. Banks that leverage streaming data will transform customer experiences, manage risks more efficiently, and unlock the full potential of AI. Those who don’t risk being left behind. Today, I’m joined by Gillaume Aymé, CEO of Lenses.io and a leading voice on data innovation. Together, we’ll explore why real-time data is becoming the lifeblood of modern banking, the hurdles institutions must overcome, and how to build the foundation for AI-driven success. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Lenses Lenses 6.0 is a Developer Experience designed to empower organizations to modernize applications and systems with real-time data autonomy. This is particularly crucial as AI adoption accelerates, and enterprises operate hundreds of Kafka clusters across multi-cloud environments. As the industry’s first multi-Kafka developer experience, Lenses 6.0 allows teams to access, govern and process streaming data across any combination of Apache Kafka-based streaming platforms, from a single interface. https://lenses.io/

Most banks, including potentially yours, are falling into a dangerous trap. They're announcing AI initiatives, holding innovation showcases, and talking about digital transformation, but when it comes to measurable business results, 70% have nothing to show for their investment. The winners, like JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, and a few others, aren't just lucky. They've decoded a specific approach to talent, execution, and measurement that lets them turn AI investments into strategic advantages. Meanwhile, most are wasting budgets with little to show for it beyond PowerPoint slides. Today on the Banking Transformed podcast, we're joined by Alexandra Mousavizadeh, CEO of Evident, who has just released the most comprehensive analysis of AI outcomes in banking. Her team tracked 173 AI use cases across 50 major banks, and the data reveals a stark divide emerging in our industry. Alexandra will reveal which banks are already using AI to steal retail customers, how they're measuring real ROI, and most importantly, what retail banking leaders need to do differently in the next 12 months to avoid being left behind. If you're responsible for retail banking strategy, customer acquisition, or digital transformation, the next 30 minutes could determine whether your bank thrives or merely survives the AI revolution.

In this episode of Banking Transformed, John Stuckey from FIS shares insights on the evolving landscape of digital business banking and the strategies financial institutions need to adopt for future growth. The discussion examines how market needs have evolved for business banking clients, the effect of Customer 360 perspectives, the increasing influence of open banking on business financial relationships, and the ways AI is transforming competitive dynamics. John also delves into the competitive dynamics between fintechs and traditional banks, and how banks must evolve their digital solutions to meet changing market demands.

Silent attrition may be the biggest threat most banks aren’t talking about — and the stakes are rising fast. The 2025 Generational Trends in Digital Banking study reveals that only 56% of digital banking consumers expect to maintain their current relationship over the next year, while the rest are quietly drifting toward stagnation or disengagement. This continuous erosion of loyalty comes just as the U.S. faces one of the largest intergenerational wealth transfers in history. Thirty-seven percent of Americans expect an inheritance in the next two decades, but if banks can’t hold on to younger, digital-first customers now, those assets — and the loyalty — will walk out the door. Joining me today on the Banking Transformed podcast are two powerhouse experts – Jason Dorsey, President of The Center for Generational Kinetics, and Allison Cerra, Chief Marketing Officer at Alkami Technologies. They will unpack the findings from the 2025 Generational Trends in Digital Banking Study and share what banks must do now to stop the quiet exodus before it’s too late. Remember, silent attrition doesn’t announce itself — it’s a quiet leak of loyalty, share of wallet, and future opportunity that can be devastating if ignored. This Episode of Banking Transformed is Sponsored by Alkami Alkami Technology, Inc. is a leading cloud-based digital banking solutions provider for financial institutions in the United States that enables clients to grow confidently, adapt quickly, and build thriving digital communities. Alkami helps clients transform through retail and business banking, digital account opening, payment security, and data analytics and marketing solutions. To learn more, visit www.alkami.com.

As I visit different cities and countries, I find that every financial institution is racing to claim they are “data-driven,” yet, as I dig deeper, I find that few are truly turning data into meaningful action. From personalizing member experiences to unlocking operational efficiency, the ability to transform data into insight — and insight into impact — has become a strategic imperative. Yet the journey from collecting data to scaling it across an organization is filled with cultural, technological, and ethical challenges. On today’s episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Jeremiah Lotz, Senior Vice President of Data and Experience Design at Velera. We’ll explore what it takes to build not just a data strategy, but a data culture — one that fosters literacy, curiosity, and trust. We’ll also discuss how financial institutions can identify when they’re ready to scale, the role of AI and governance in driving value, and the new frontiers of data use in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Every customer conversation – whether in a branch, online, or through a call center – holds the potential to either deepen loyalty or increase attrition. Yet too often, those interactions create frustration, higher costs, and lower satisfaction scores. Today’s competitive advantage isn’t just having data. It’s knowing how to transform conversations into measurable business value. From lowering cost-to-serve to boosting Net Promoter Scores, the opportunity is clear: banks that successfully harness AI and conversation intelligence are realizing game-changing ROI, while others remain stuck in pilot projects. In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Caleb Johnson, VP at TTEC Digital, and Chris Dolan from Cisco. Together, we’ll explore how financial institutions can build the infrastructure, insights, and strategies to orchestrate seamless customer journeys and turn everyday conversations into bottom-line results. If you’re looking for practical ways to move past AI hype and drive measurable CX transformation, this conversation is for you. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by TTEC Digital TTEC Digital’s AI Vision Workshop empowers CX and Operations leaders to unlock real business value from AI. Together, we’ll define your CX and operational goals, identify challenges, and build a tailored roadmap for AI pilot projects. Powered by Cisco Webex AI and deep CX expertise, we help you move from curiosity to confidence—and deliver results. CIS: TTEC Digital + Cisco BFSI Campaign - AI Vision Workshop

Fintech disruptors like Chime, Revolut, Venmo and the Cash App have shaken up the banking world by positioning themselves against traditional banking's pain points, yet most established banks continue to compete on incremental improvements rather than bold differentiation. Consumers are drowning in nearly indistinguishable offers, a reality my guest on Banking Transformed, Laura Ries, calls out in her newest book, "The Strategic Enemy: How to Build and Position a Brand Worth Fighting For". Her antidote is intentionally counterintuitive: stop trying to be “better,” and instead become unmistakably different by defining, and then defeating, a single, visible foe. Ries argues that when brands rally around an “enemy,” and reinforce the fight with a memorable “visual hammer,” they earn a permanent slot in the customer’s mind. Our conversation explores how enemy-based positioning and vivid visual symbols can help banks escape commoditization, revitalize trust, and signal a bolder future.

Thailand's banking sector is experiencing a remarkable evolution, driven by regulatory innovation, mobile-first consumer behavior, and some of the world's most stringent operational requirements. Leading this transformation at one of the region's most influential financial institutions is our guest today. Ian Gillard serves as Senior Executive Vice President at Bangkok Bank, where he oversees digitalization, mobile banking, blockchain initiatives, cloud strategy, and analytics. Today, we'll explore how Bangkok Bank is navigating Thailand's unique regulatory landscape, the bank's strategy for dominating both domestic and international markets, and Ian's vision for the future of digital engagement in a region where 97% of banking transactions happen on mobile devices. From virtual banking initiatives to AI-driven customer experiences, we'll uncover the innovations that are positioning Bangkok Bank at the forefront of ASEAN's financial transformation. Welcome to Shaping Banking’s Next – podcast episodes hosted by Jim Marous and brought to you by Infosys Finacle and Qorus Global. These compelling episodes are inspired by the ‘Innovation in Retail Banking’ research, a report that has been tracking innovation trends, investment priorities, emerging business models, and real-world case studies for over 15 years. In these episodes, visionaries, changemakers, and digital pioneers from the world’s leading banks will share how they’re driving innovation, transforming the banking value chain, and reimagining the future of banking. Join them as they explore bold strategies, innovative business models and next-gen technologies shaping the industry today and defining what’s next.