From Cash and Cards to Invisible Banking

Every week, we hear another story: A major bank's mobile app crashes during peak hours with no vendor support in sight. A credit union's core system update goes sideways, leaving customers locked out for days. A regional bank discovers that their "24/7 support" actually means "leave a voicemail and we'll get back to you Tuesday." Here's the brutal truth most banking executives learn too late: You're not just buying a solution – you're buying a relationship that could either supercharge your institution or slowly strangle it. While your procurement team obsesses over features and price tags, the real question that will determine your success or failure is this: When everything goes wrong at 2 AM on a Friday, who's actually going to answer the phone? I'm joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Jennifer Gibson, VP of Sales for Primax, who has a front-row seat to both sides of this equation. Jennifer is here to reveal the hidden warning signs that separate true partners from mere sales pitches, the questions banks should be asking but rarely do, and why the most expensive mistake you can make is choosing the cheapest vendor. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Primax Primax provides community banks with an expansive array of value-added services and customizable solutions to help profitably grow their portfolios and deliver an unparalleled experience to cardholders. With a longstanding commitment to service excellence, Primax has been designing and providing support services for payment card programs for financial institutions throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean for over 40 years. Visit www.primax.us/ for more information

The convergence of artificial intelligence, real-time payment rails, open banking, and embedded finance is creating both unprecedented opportunities for innovation and significant competitive pressures. Banks must navigate the delicate balance between embracing cutting-edge technologies, such as generative AI, and maintaining the trust and security that customers demand. In this episode of the Banking Transformed podcast, we delve into the rapidly evolving payments ecosystem with Rich Clow, Head of Innovation and Strategy at Global Payment Solutions, Bank of America. With over 25 years of experience spanning from the early days of branchless banking to today's AI-powered financial services, Rich provides unique insights into the transformative trends reshaping how we think about money, payments, and banking relationships. Join us as we explore these critical trends with one of the industry's most experienced innovators, who has been at the forefront of digital payments evolution for over two decades.

In an age where customers can switch banks with just a few taps on their smartphones, loyalty has shifted from being a nice-to-have marketing tactic to a business-critical survival strategy. Today's banking customers don't just want rewards—they seek relevance, personalization, and experiences that fit seamlessly into their daily routines. This shift represents more than just changing customer preferences; it's a fundamental reimagining of how financial institutions create value and foster lasting relationships. Traditional banks are grappling with legacy systems that were never designed for the dynamic, real-time engagement that modern loyalty programs demand, while nimble fintech competitors are building loyalty into their DNA from the outset. Today on Banking Transformed, we explore the future of retail banking loyalty with Carson Kotnyek, VP and Head of Loyalty and Ecosystems at Zafin, who will share insights on how traditional banks can bridge the innovation gap and build loyalty programs that don't just retain customers – but turn them into passionate advocates. 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

Despite massive investments in digital transformation, most banks and credit unions are still struggling to deliver seamless and intuitive account-opening experiences. In fact, financial institutions could more than double their digital account opening success by following just a few simple strategies. In today’s episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Frida Leibowitz, Co-Founder and CEO of Debbie — a fintech platform that not only helps institutions attract younger members, but also rewards positive financial behavior to boost engagement and loyalty. We discuss Debbie’s rapid growth, the findings from their recently released 2025 Digital Account Opening Guide, and what is holding most financial institutions back from achieving digital onboarding success. If your organization is still relying on outdated forms, clunky ID verification, or legacy vendor excuses — this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.

How do you transform banks that have been built over centuries for a world where artificial intelligence operates 10 times faster than the digital revolution? We're not just talking about implementing new technology; we're reimagining banking for customers who interact daily with AI assistants and may soon entrust their money management entirely to intelligent systems. However, banks that rush into action without understanding their organizational and cultural legacies will find their investments yielding disappointing results. The issue isn't the technology; it's that we equate activity with progress, making top-down decisions that overlook what's happening on the ground. Our guest on the Banking Transformed podcast, Sophie Heller, is the newly appointed Chief Transformation Officer at BNP Paribas CPBS, bringing a unique perspective that combines strategic technology leadership with deep insights from behavioral sciences and organizational sociology. Today, we explore why the pause before progress might be more important than the speed of implementation, how behavioral sciences are becoming essential tools for transformation leaders, and what it takes to redesign banking for an AI-powered world. 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.

Offering diverse insurance products isn't just about additional revenue streams—it's about building unbreakable customer relationships, especially when economic uncertainty has people questioning every financial decision. We explore how forward-thinking financial institutions are evolving beyond traditional banking to become true partners in financial wellness, utilizing insurance as a bridge to deeper, more meaningful customer engagement. I'm joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by two industry experts: Erin Allen, Vice President of Insurance Strategy and Distribution, and Norm Brown, Senior Director of Client and Customer Experience at Franklin Madison. If you've ever wondered why your customers might be more loyal to their insurance provider than their bank, or how to turn financial anxiety into opportunity, this conversation is for you.

The most critical challenge facing most retail financial institutions is how to accelerate organic growth and customer acquisition in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven landscape. I’m joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Sumeet Grover, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Growth & Digital Officer at Austin-based University Federal Credit Union. Sumeet is a renowned thought leader in financial services, with nearly two decades of experience at Citibank, where he held leadership positions spanning marketing, digital transformation, client experience, and operations. Most recently, he served as EVP and Chief Digital & Marketing Officer at Alliant Credit Union, the largest digital credit union in the United States. In today's conversation, we explore the most significant obstacles hindering sustainable growth, identify the most promising opportunities on the horizon, and discuss how AI is fundamentally transforming the growth model for retail financial institutions.

Community financial institutions are at a crossroads—they must deliver cutting-edge card payment experiences that rival fintech disruptors and mega-banks, all while preserving their community-focused mission and working within tighter resource constraints. Guest: Joe Schmithorst, VP of Product and Client Solutions at Primax Joe brings decades of experience helping community banks transform their payment capabilities. In this episode, he reveals how smaller institutions can leverage modern architectures, embedded payment solutions, and customer-centric design not only to compete but also to outmaneuver larger competitors. Key Topics: - Building scalable card payment platforms on realistic budgets - Emerging technologies: real-time payments and digital wallet integration - Turning community banks' personalized service advantage into a competitive weapon - Practical implementation strategies that deliver results Discover how community banks can transform their biggest challenge into their greatest opportunity.

Every financial institution today is sitting on a goldmine of customer data, yet most struggle to turn those insights into a real competitive advantage. The challenge isn't collecting data—it's knowing what to do with it. Rachel O'Neill from Alkami joins me on the Banking Transformed podcast to tackle the hard questions: Why do so many banks fail to activate their data strategically? How can institutions break through the paralysis of analysis and start driving tangible business outcomes? And what separates the winners from the wishful thinkers in today's data-driven banking landscape? From streamlining back-office operations to enhancing customer financial wellness, it's clear that institutions embracing data-driven strategies are positioning themselves for sustained success in an increasingly competitive landscape. 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.

While established institutions offer stability and financial strength, they must overcome perceptions of being stodgy, complex and disconnected from the digital fluency that defines Gen Z and Millennial lifestyles. Building connections with this demographic isn't simply about launching another banking app or redesigning branches – it's about reimagining how a legacy institution can demonstrate relevance and value when financial decisions are increasingly made with a swipe. As part of the Executive Leadership Series, sponsored by Naehas and recorded live at the Financial Brand Forum, we sat down with Lamont Young, EVP, Head of Digital and Omni Channel Banking. He shares how to navigate this complex landscape, creating experiences that honor both the digital expectations and human reassurance these customers seek during uncertain financial times. 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