As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, i was joined by Colin Walsh, the founder and CEO of Varo Bank – a true pioneer in the financial services industry. In 2020, Varo made history by becoming the first consumer fintech company to receive a national bank charter, transforming from an ambitious startup into America's first all-digital, nationally chartered bank.

Under Colin's leadership, Varo has revolutionized banking through innovative technology, human-centered design, and a mission to improve the financial health of millions of Americans.

We explore Varo's remarkable journey, their challenges, and how they leverage AI and product innovation to create sustainable competitive advantages in an increasingly crowded digital banking landscape.

This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Naehas

Naehas provides financial institutions with a centralized platform to efficiently manage product creation, pricing strategies, compliance, and disclosures. By automating complex processes and integrating advanced governance tools, Naehas significantly reduces operational risk and accelerates execution. Trusted by 6 of the 10 largest U.S. banks, our solution supports top-tier institutions in delivering precise, compliant offers with speed and accuracy.

⁠https://www.naehas.com/?utm_source=financialbrand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Banking_Transformed_podcast

Regional and community financial institutions face unprecedented challenges from both banking giants and nimble fintech startups. But size isn't the determining factor for success in today's financial landscape – rather, it's the ability to foster an innovative culture, make strategic partnerships, and leverage data effectively.

As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, we spoke with Victor Alexander, Head of Consumer Banking at KeyBank, a leader who understands the delicate balance between tradition and innovation in financial services.

Victor will explore how leadership styles impact organizational agility and highlight KeyBank's approach to collaboration with solution providers that extends capabilities without massive internal investment.

This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Naehas

Naehas provides financial institutions with a centralized platform to efficiently manage product creation, pricing strategies, compliance, and disclosures. By automating complex processes and integrating advanced governance tools, Naehas significantly reduces operational risk and accelerates execution. Trusted by 6 of the 10 largest U.S. banks, our solution supports top-tier institutions in delivering precise, compliant offers with speed and accuracy.

⁠https://www.naehas.com/?utm_source=financialbrand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Banking_Transformed_podcast

Product innovation in banking faces significant challenges, including legacy systems, regulatory constraints, risk aversion, and the need to balance digital transformation with traditional services.

In this episode of Banking Transformed, we explore the dynamic landscape of banking product management with Puneet Chhahira, VP and Head of Product Management and Marketing at Infosys Finacle. Our conversation reveals how financial products are evolving beyond traditional services to meet changing customer expectations and technological possibilities.

Puneet shares valuable insights on how banks can foster innovation cultures, accelerate digital transformation, and effectively implement AI technologies to enhance both product development and customer experiences. We also discuss the critical role leadership plays in driving these changes and how banks can balance technological advancement with human-centered design principles.

While consumer digital banking has seen tremendous innovation, commercial and wealth management sectors often lag behind, creating frustration for some of banking's most valuable customers.

We're joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Alex Jimenez, Lead Principal Consultant at Backbase. Alex helps us understand the critical differences between consumer, small business, commercial, and wealth solutions – and why a one-size-fits-all approach fails in today's competitive landscape.

He also explores the unique needs of the commercial and wealth segments, examining the performance gaps currently plaguing the industry. The message is clear – financial institutions can no longer afford to focus exclusively on consumer digital experiences while neglecting their commercial and wealth management clients.

In an industry where legacy infrastructure often dates back decades, core conversions represent immense challenges and transformative opportunities. As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, we had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer Smith, Chief Information Officer of Zions Bank, who has recently led one of banking's most complex technological undertakings: a complete core systems modernization.

Jennifer will share invaluable insights from Zions Bank's journey, from the initial business case through implementation and beyond. Her firsthand experience navigating this intricate process offers a unique window into how financial institutions can successfully approach these mission-critical transformations while maintaining business continuity and enhancing customer experience.

This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Naehas

Naehas provides financial institutions with a centralized platform to efficiently manage product creation, pricing strategies, compliance, and disclosures. By automating complex processes and integrating advanced governance tools, Naehas significantly reduces operational risk and accelerates execution. Trusted by 6 of the 10 largest U.S. banks, our solution supports top-tier institutions in delivering precise, compliant offers with speed and accuracy.

⁠https://www.naehas.com/?utm_source=financialbrand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Banking_Transformed_podcast

This episode of the Banking Transformed podcast, as part of the Experience Factor series, sponsored by Q2, tackles the persistent gap between recognized trends and strategic priorities revealed in the 2025 Retail Banking Trends report.

Fabio Biasella from EngageFI helps listeners develop frameworks for ensuring technology investments directly enhance customer experiences rather than simply adding capabilities. We explore why only 7% of institutions have fully achieved their digital transformation goals despite widespread recognition of its importance, and how experience-led approaches can accelerate progress.

The conversation will also provide practical guidance for building organizational resilience through customer-centric transformation, helping banks and credit unions create a sustainable competitive advantage regardless of marketplace shifts.

As financial institutions navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, they face the dual challenge of driving innovation while maintaining the security and reliability that customers expect. Dominic Venturo, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at U.S. Bank, has been at the forefront of US Bank's digital transformation, helping his organization develop resilient systems that not only respond to change but anticipate it.

As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, our conversation explores how modern resilience in banking has evolved beyond disaster recovery to become a dynamic capability that enables personalization, real-time engagement, and proactive risk management.

This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Naehas

Naehas provides financial institutions with a centralized platform to efficiently manage product creation, pricing strategies, compliance, and disclosures. By automating complex processes and integrating advanced governance tools, Naehas significantly reduces operational risk and accelerates execution. Trusted by 6 of the 10 largest U.S. banks, our solution supports top-tier institutions in delivering precise, compliant offers with speed and accuracy.

⁠https://www.naehas.com/?utm_source=financialbrand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Banking_Transformed_podcast

In the financial services industry, we often see a critical gap between technological potential and practical implementation. Financial institutions must bridge this divide, moving beyond the excitement of new technology to achieve measurable outcomes that impact both customer experience and operational efficiency.

Today, we're joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Tara Lacey, Regional Vice President of Customer Success at Backbase. Tara has made her career focusing on what truly matters in financial technology – not just helping to build innovative solutions, but ensuring they're effectively deployed to create real business value.

We explore the evolving philosophy of customer success in banking technology – where the emphasis isn't on selling solutions but on ensuring their successful deployment and adoption. We also discuss why implementation strategy is often more important than the technology itself.

With significant shifts in Washington's political dynamics and new regulatory challenges emerging across the banking sector, our discussion today will explore how the CBA is evolving to address these changes while balancing the needs of financial institutions and consumers alike.

As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, Lindsey Johnson, President and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association, provides valuable insights into how the banking industry is adapting to a changing regulatory landscape in 2025. Johnson also discusses the CBA's evolving role in navigating the challenges of a new administration.

Finally, Johnson shares her perspective on how banks can navigate the uncertainty of leadership changes at key regulatory agencies while maintaining focus on consumer needs.

This episode is sponsored by Naehas. Naehas provides financial institutions with a centralized platform to efficiently manage product creation, pricing strategies, compliance, and disclosures. By automating complex processes and integrating advanced governance tools, Naehas significantly reduces operational risk and accelerates execution. Trusted by 6 of the 10 largest U.S. banks, our solution supports top-tier institutions in delivering precise, compliant offers with speed and accuracy.

⁠https://www.naehas.com/?utm_source=financialbrand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Banking_Transformed_podcast

Since 2020, financial institutions have faced a perfect storm – rising funding costs, increased delinquencies, and now, a dramatic surge in sophisticated fraud attacks.

We're joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by two experts from TransUnion who are at the forefront of understanding and combating these threats: Joshua Turnbull, VP of Card and Banking Strategy, and Craig LaChapelle, VP of Market Development. They'll share insights on why fraud losses are becoming more painful in today's high-cost environment, how fraudsters have adapted their strategies post-pandemic, and most importantly, how financial institutions can build resilience against these evolving threats.

Whether you're concerned about the 37% increase in synthetic identities, the fact that 30% of online applications now come from bots, or the alarming spike in early default rates, this conversation will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to protect your institution and customers.

This episode is sponsored by TransUnion. As part of a global information and insights company, the TransUnion Card and Banking business supports over 5,000 financial institutions in the US — from the largest card issuers and retail banks to community-based institutions and technology-driven card issuers. TransUnion has a world class identity spine – spanning consumer identity and behavior, email, device and calling data – that is recognized as a leader by analysts and trusted by the largest banks to enable their fraud strategies. https://www.transunion.com/extracreditpod?atvy=%7B%22264995%22%3A%22Experience+B%22%7D