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

In an industry where customer trust is paramount, financial institutions like Ally are navigating the delicate balance between rapid innovation and robust security. As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, we'll explore how Ally has leveraged generative AI to streamline operations, foster innovation, and enhance customer experiences while maintaining the trust fundamental to banking relationships.

I'm thrilled to be joined by Sathish Muthukrishnan, Chief Information, Data, and Digital Officer at Ally Bank, one of America's leading digital financial services companies. Sathish will examine broader industry trends and provide a forward-looking discussion of Agentic AI's potential to revolutionize banking relationships, including the ethical considerations involved.

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

The banking industry faces unprecedented pressure to shift from reactive service models to proactive engagement strategies. However, many institutions are still hindered by fragmented customer data, disconnected channels, and limited AI capabilities. Banking's future belongs to institutions that can harness unified data, artificial intelligence, and seamless experiences to predict and fulfill customer needs before they're articulated.

I’m joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Tim Rutten, Chief Marketing Officer at Backbase, to discuss how financial institutions can unlock their growth potential in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving market. We discuss how leading banks break down traditional barriers between products, channels, and business units to create cohesive customer journeys that build deeper relationships and unlock new revenue streams.

Tim also provides actionable insights on prioritizing high-impact use cases that can be put into action today.

In less than two years, Jenius Bank has surpassed $2 billion in deposits and loans, and recently launched a next-generation mobile and online banking platform that promises to transform how customers understand and manage their finances. The focus has been on leveraging technology to deliver personalized insights, eliminating fees, and helping customers live what they call "richer lives."

I’m excited to welcome back John Rosenfeld, President of Jenius Bank, the digital banking division of SMBC MANUBANK to the Banking Transformed podcast.

John discusses how digital banking must evolve beyond convenient transactions to become a financial partner that provides actionable insights for customers. By focusing on financial wellness, data optimization, and the mind-money connection, Jenius Bank creating differentiation in a highly competitive digital banking landscape.

Despite having accumulated vast amounts of customer data for decades, many financial institutions struggle to effectively harness this information for strategic advantage. Legacy systems, organizational silos, and competing priorities often leave valuable data isolated and underutilized.

Meanwhile, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies has created both immense opportunities and significant challenges for banks trying to keep pace.

I'm joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Lee Wetherington, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy at Jack Henry™ & Associates. Lee has been at the forefront of helping financial institutions navigate these complex data and AI challenges.

This episode is sponsored by Jack Henry. Jack Henry™ is a well-rounded financial technology company that strengthens the connections between people and their financial institutions through technology and services that reduce the barriers to financial health – with the purpose of empowering people and communities to gain the financial freedom to move forward. Visit jackhenry.com to learn more.

https://www.jackhenry.com/topi...

In a world saturated with digital noise, where customer loyalty is increasingly rare, how can traditional banks not just survive, but thrive?

I’m joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Kartik Ramakrishnan, CEO of Financial Services at Capgemini, to discuss the eye-opening findings from their just-released 2025 World Retail Banking Report.

This report reveals some concerning trends, including the a vast majority of customers are indifferent or outright dissatisfied with their current banking experiences. Meanwhile, banking executives are struggling to convert prospects into customers, with significant gaps between what consumers want and what banks are delivering.

But within these challenges lie extraordinary opportunities for transformation.

We explore how leading financial institutions are using the customer-centric "flywheel growth model" to attract, engage, and delight digital-first customers in an increasingly competitive landscape.

In an evolving banking ecosystem, CMOs must approach AI as a transformative force while avoiding the pitfalls of short-term thinking. To drive differentiation, forward-thinking marketing leaders must leverage first-party data foundations, AI tools, and human creativity and stop marketing like it’s in 1999.

On today’s episode of Banking Transformed, my friend Eric Fulwiler, who is the co-founder and CEO of the marketing consultancy Rival, joins me to discuss how true marketing innovation will come not from the AI tools themselves but from proprietary customer insights and creative application of AI outputs.

Eric also shares practical frameworks for CMOs to evaluate AI investments, build team capabilities, and maintain a strategic perspective amid rapid change while providing tips for ongoing AI learning.

According to Avanade's latest AI Value Report, 59% of these institutions have already embarked on AI transformation journeys, with a third claiming completion. Yet beneath this enthusiasm lies a complex reality: many banks expect quick returns while still building fundamental capabilities in data management, security, and infrastructure.

Joining me on the Banking Transformed podcast are Jeromey Farmer, Head of Data & AI for North America at Avanade, and Daragh Morrissey, Director of Artificial Intelligence for WW Financial Services at Microsoft.

Together, we'll unpack the report's findings, explore real-world AI use cases delivering value now, examine implementation opportunities and challenges, and look ahead to what's next, including the transformative potential of agentic AI.

Microsoft Copilot for Banking | Avanade