Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

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

As financial institutions navigate rapid technological change, evolving customer expectations, and increasingly complex regulatory environments, industry associations like ProSight play a crucial role in providing guidance, resources, and community. My guest on the Banking Transformed podcast is Debbie Bianucci, who led BAI for nearly 30 years before becoming President and CEO of ProSight. She, shares insights on the complementary strengths each organization brought to the merger and how their combined capabilities create a more comprehensive support system for financial institutions. The conversation examines how ProSight is helping banks navigate digital transformation, changing customer expectations, regulatory complexity, and emerging risks. Debbie highlights ProSight's expanded suite of offerings, including decision support tools, research, learning programs, and peer networking opportunities designed to equip financial leaders with practical strategies for success.

Small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges alongside remarkable opportunities as they respond to the digitalization of engagement, an uncertain geopolitical landscape and increasing consumer expectations. More than ever they want their financial institution to be a partner in their journey. In this episode of Banking Transformed, we sit down with Manny Tocco, Chief Operating Officer of Business Banking at Citizens Bank. Manny shares his insights on the major trends impacting small businesses and how financial institutions must reimagine their small business banking model from the ground up, balancing high-tech capabilities with high-touch relationship management. Whether you're a banking executive seeking to enhance your small business strategy, a fintech leader looking for partnership opportunities, or a small business owner navigating the evolving financial landscape, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on creating meaningful banking relationships in a digital-first world that still c

As financial institutions navigate the challenges of digital transformation while maintaining relevant physical spaces, organizations must focus on reimagining how to connect with customers in an increasingly digital world. This must include a shift from transaction-focused branch designs to experience-centered environments that prioritize consultative interactions. I’m joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by EJ Kritz, Chief Experience Officer at DBSI. EJ shares his expertise on the evolution of branch banking design and customer experience improvements. Recorded live at the Visionary Voices event in Chandler, Arizona, the conversation digs into how data-driven design decisions are helping banks optimize their physical footprint while enhancing customer engagement. Whether you're looking to revitalize your branches or enhance your overall customer journey, this conversation offers valuable insights for financial leaders ready to transform their approach.

Financial institutions face unprecedented challenges in product innovation and customer communication. From managing complex compliance requirements to optimizing offer management across multiple channels, banks struggle with outdated systems that hinder their ability to compete effectively. Today, we're joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Rab Govil, CEO and founder of Naehas, whose platform transforms how banks create, manage, and execute financial products and offers. Rab shares practical insights on how banks can reduce time-to-market for new products, ensure consistent messaging across channels, and maintain regulatory compliance without sacrificing innovation. Whether you're struggling with disclosure management, seeking to improve offer personalization, or modernizing your product pricing strategy, this conversation provides actionable solutions for banking's most pressing operational challenges. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Naehas Naehas accelerates value for financi

In today’s rapidly evolving world of fintech and digital transformation, success is often painted as a glamorous journey of resilience and grit. But the reality is far more complex—and far less forgiving. In this episode of Banking Transformed, we sit down with renowned fintech leader and author Leda Glyptis to explore the hard truths behind building what lasts. Drawing from her new book, Beyond Resilience: Patterns of Success in Fintech and Digital Transformation, Leda reveals that survival in this industry is not about luck or brilliance — it’s about mastering the art of doing hard, often unglamorous work, consistently and with precision. Whether you’re leading digital change within a bank or launching the next disruptive fintech, this conversation will shift your perspective on what it really takes to beat the odds. If you’re ready to move beyond the hype and uncover the playbook for building the future of financial services, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

The 2025 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities Report reveals an industry in transition. While 51% of institutions are actively implementing digital transformation efforts, 22% struggle with implementation or have halted their efforts. Key priorities focus on improving digital experiences (52%) and enhancing data capabilities (33%), while AI adoption is slowly expanding beyond security into customer service and process automation. Most interestingly, despite the continued focus on improving digital delivery, organizations, especially credit unions, are still building new branches. My guest on Banking Transformed, Mark Sievewright, Chief Strategy Officer for SRM, shares his perspective on where banks and credit unions focus their efforts and whether some of their investments may be misguided. He also discusses how the findings challenge conventional wisdom about digital transformation and highlight the complex balance between innovation and customer expectations.

While banks have successfully implemented GenAI for internal processes and back-office operations, they struggle to achieve meaningful ROI on customer-facing solutions like agent assist and Conversational IVR due to regulatory compliance requirements, data privacy concerns, and model explainability needs. This results in significant hurdles when deploying customer-facing applications. In this episode of Banking Transformed, we're joined by Manish Gupta, CEO of Corridor Platforms, and Toby Brown, Managing Director of Global Retail Banking Solutions at Google Cloud, to discuss their groundbreaking partnership and how AI and cloud technologies can transform banking decisioning capabilities, enabling institutions to compete effectively while maintaining regulatory compliance. Our guests will also share insights on overcoming implementation challenges, managing GenAI risks, and creating sustainable frameworks for long-term success in digital banking. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Corridor

Several key data trends are transforming the competitive landscape of banking. First, the emergence of Agentic AI is prompting institutions to reconsider how they organize and use customer data. Second, vendor consolidation is compelling banks to take greater control of their data strategies. Third, the growing sophistication of AI models requires higher-quality data to provide personalized experiences while addressing bias risks. In this episode of Banking Transformed, Don Permezel, VP of Data & AI at nCino, joins us to explore how banks must evolve beyond mere data collection to unlock true customer value through AI-powered personalization. The discussion reveals that while many banks excel at data collection and storage, they often fail to turn this data into actionable intelligence that enhances customer value. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by nCino nCino is the leading provider of intelligent, best-in-class banking solutions, focused on streamlining operations for financial institu

Legacy core systems, often decades old, restrict innovation and limit the ability to offer personalized digital products. Traditional "rip and replace" approaches to modernization are risky, expensive, and time-consuming. Organizations need a solution enabling speed and scale innovation while preserving existing infrastructure investments. On this episode of the Banking Transformed podcast, Ahon Sarkar, SVP and general manager of Helix at Q2 discusses a revolutionary approach to core banking modernization. By combining Q2's digital banking platform, Helix's cloud-based core, and extensive fintech partnerships, Q2 Fabric enables financial institutions to launch modern digital products without replacing legacy systems. The conversation explores how this solution helps banks and credit unions compete in today's digital landscape while minimizing risk and maximizing ROI.

Three-quarters of banks report that legacy infrastructure poses significant barriers to implementing new digital solutions. This creates a complex challenge of balancing innovation with addressing budgetary constraints and maintaining operational efficiency. In this episode of Banking Transformed, Barb Morgan, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Temenos, discusses how financial institutions can navigate this technological crossroads, examining strategies for optimizing tech spending, modernizing infrastructure, and leveraging emerging technologies like generative AI to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. We also explore the evolving role of leadership in driving technological change, including the critical balance between innovation and risk management. The conversation further addresses the industry's growing talent challenge – from recruiting tech-savvy professionals to upskilling existing teams.

Financial institutions of all sizes face mounting pressure to compete with tech giants, global banks and nimble fintechs while meeting rising customer expectations for personalized experiences. The key to success lies not in matching their scale, but in leveraging data more effectively through modern core banking systems. Jeffrey Kendall, Chairman and CEO of Nymbus, is joining me today on the Banking Transformed podcast. We will discuss how data-enabled core banking is transforming financial institutions and enabling them to deliver personalized experiences that rival the largest banks and most nimble fintechs. We also will explore the intersection of vertical banking strategies, real-time data analytics, and the future of community banking.

Banks and credit unions must innovate faster and deliver flexible, scalable, and differentiated offerings to keep up with account holders' changing expectations. This is best achieved through collaborations with solution providers and fintech organizations that offer customizable digital-first offerings. On this episode of the Banking Transformed podcast, Deena Otto, COO of Stanford FCU, and Dan Collins, Director of Digital Development at Visions FCU, share how their organizations are revolutionizing their approach to innovation. Rather than building solutions from scratch or undertaking time-consuming custom integrations, these institutions leverage pre-built components and standardized integration frameworks to deploy new solutions rapidly. Learn how these two credit unions “punch above their fighting weight" by reducing what would typically be year-long development cycles into projects deliverable within three to six months.

The banking industry stands at a pivotal crossroads as we approach 2030. While the past quarter-century was defined by digital transformation, which brought unprecedented efficiency and convenience, it also created an unexpected paradox: the loss of personal connection in banking relationships. In this episode of Banking Transformed, Michael Abbott, Senior Managing Director and Global Banking Lead at Accenture, discusses how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies will help banks bridge this gap. They will enable them to combine digital efficiency with the personal touch that defined banking's golden era. We also explore how banks can differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape where technology alone is no longer enough to win customer loyalty.

A strong web presence isn't just an advantage—it's essential for survival and growth. In today's competitive market, a powerful digital footprint can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Understanding how to optimize your digital presence is crucial, whether you want to increase brand awareness, drive customer engagement, or boost conversions. In this episode of Banking Transformed, we are joined by Anil Aggarwal, the CEO of Milestone. Anil dives deep into the strategies and principles behind building a commanding digital presence. From content creation and audience engagement to measuring success and adapting to changing technologies, he shares the key elements of a successful online strategy. Anil also shares ways financial institutions of all sizes can go beyond using their website for brand building to creating new business opportunities. This episode of Banking Transformed Solutions is sponsored by Milestone Milestone’s Digital Experience platform including SEO-first CMS and Gener

According to recent Q2 research, 74% of people across generations want more personal banking experiences, and 70% trust their financial institutions to create those experiences using data and AI. Yet, many banks and credit unions struggle to deliver the level of personalization consumers expect from their digital experiences. On this episode of the Banking Transformed podcast, Anthony Ianniciello, VP of Product Management at Q2, and David Sant, Chief Strategy Officer at Cyprus Credit Union, explore how financial institutions can transform commodity banking transactions into differentiated, personalized experiences that build lifetime relationships. Our guests share insights from both the technology and implementation perspectives, discussing real-world challenges and solutions in building a modern banking relationship strategy.

The recently released Business Banking Digital Maturity Report provides unprecedented insights into how financial institutions transform their business banking capabilities for a digital future. This research is unique because it goes beyond measuring digital capabilities to examine the culture, talent strategies, and operational models that separate leaders from followers. In this episode of Banking Transformed, Allison Cerra, the Chief Marketing Officer at Alkami Technologies and Casey Hogarth from Emerald Research Group discuss this first-of-its-kind research. We explore why some organizations are growing 10 times faster than their peers, how smaller institutions are successfully competing against larger competitors, and what it takes to build a digitally mature business banking operation. Most importantly, our guests will provide a roadmap for how any financial institution can accelerate its digital transformation journey.

Mid-sized financial institutions face unprecedented challenges. They must compete with larger banks that have massive technology budgets and nimble fintechs that can quickly deploy innovative solutions. The pressure to deliver sophisticated products and seamless digital experiences while maintaining the personalized service that distinguishes regional banks has never been greater. Today's guest, Matt Wind, head of product management at Popular Bank, joins the Banking Transformed podcast. He brings a unique perspective to these challenges, having recently transitioned from a 26-year tenure at Comerica Bank to a leadership role at Popular Bank. The discussion explores critical decisions regarding technology partnerships, innovation strategies, and the balance between building in-house solutions and partnering with third-party providers.

Embedded financial products and flexible payment solutions are reshaping how consumers interact with banking services. As commerce increasingly shifts toward integrated experiences, the ability to seamlessly embed financial services — from buy-now-pay-later options to comprehensive lending solutions — directly into the purchase journey has become critical for merchants and financial institutions. Terry O’Neil, Head of Connected Commerce for Citi Retail Services and Head of Strategic Partnerships for Citi U.S. Personal Banking, joins the Banking Transformed podcast to discuss how the convergence of traditional banking capabilities with modern digital experiences creates new growth opportunities while challenging established business models. The discussion explores the impact on consumers, merchants, and financial institutions as we move toward an increasingly integrated financial ecosystem.

Today on the Banking Transformed podcast, we’re joined by Jaime Dominguez, Principal Product Marketer at Q2, to discuss their groundbreaking report on cross-generational banking preferences. This study, conducted in partnership with Harris Research, offers crucial insights into how financial institutions can deliver personalized experiences across different age groups. We discuss the surprising similarities in banking preferences across generations, the high level of trust in the banking industry, and the strong desire for personalized experiences. We'll also delve into the role of AI in fraud detection, the importance of data-driven personalization, and Gen Z's unique banking behaviors. The findings challenge some common assumptions about generational differences in banking preferences and highlight important opportunities for financial institutions.