IBS Intelligence Podcasts

Thomas Longhurst, Head of Strategic Partnerships, YouLendEmbedded finance is boosting business growth for SMEs as industry dynamics are being changed by the power of partnerships. Thomas Longhurst, Head of Strategic Partnerships at global embedded financing platform YouLend speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, beginning with his thoughts on the recent Money 20/20 conference in Amsterdam. 

Mattie Yeta, Chief Sustainability Officer, CGIBanks are under increasing pressure to understand how nature-related risks like biodiversity loss, flood risk and soil degradation may impact asset values and long-term resilience. However, many lenders lack the tools and context to interpret this data. Mattie Yeta, Chief Sustainability Officer for CGI in the UK and Australia speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about how financial institutions are moving to incorporate nature data in credit and investment decisions.

Mia Drennan, Founder & CEO, GLASMia Drennan pioneered independent loan administration and trustee services – an area traditionally dominated by banks. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mia Drennan, Founder and CEO of GLAS, about how she disrupted financial services and thrived in the male dominated financial services – building a global finance business that turns over around £100 million ($137 million) a year. What lessons can the current crop of female entrepreneurs take to heart? 

Ram Ramdas, Founder & Chief Evangelist, Wonderlend HubsWonderLend Hubs offers scalable, customisable solutions that adapt to the dynamic needs of modern lenders. It is a no-code, micro-modular solution delivered as a PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) model. Modular architecture or microservices allows the company to offer ‘Micro plans', i.e. API bundles which are fully business user-configurable. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ram Ramdas, Founder and Chief Evangelist at Wonderlend Hubs. 

Ruchi Tripathi, Vice President - Product Management for AMLOCK, AzentioFinancial crime compliance is evolving—and even minor lapses like missed STRs can spark major regulatory fallout. Legacy tech adds to the challenge, creating blind spots in AML frameworks. Ruchi Tripathi, VP – Product Management at Azentio's AMLOCK, speaks with Puja Sharma on applying the ‘Broken Window Theory', tackling tech debt, and adapting compliance to regional needs.

Steve Brodie, Chief Revenue Officer, GoldilockPhysical network isolation is becoming essential in today's cybersecurity threat landscape. Software-only solutions are no longer enough. The case for hardware-based protection has been thrown into sharp relief in recent months with high profile cases of cyber attacks that have revealed victim organisations to be, in the words of Steve Brodie of Goldilock, ‘over-connected and under-protected'. Goldilock already numbers leading banks among customers in both Europe and Asia for its award-winning network connection controllers. 

Elliott Limb, CEO, CubedOver the past decade, we have seen many FinTechs rise and fall – entering the market to great fanfare only to exit extremely quietly. Why do so many FinTechs fail and what needs to happen in order to reduce the chronic failure rates among FinTech startups. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Cubed CEO Elliott Limb who says a mindset change is needed. 

Michele Tucci, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, CredolabCredolab is a data analytics platform based on smartphone and web behavioural metadata available to any company with a mobile app and a website. The use of this alternative data acts to bolster risk assessment and credit decisioning in a privacy-safe, predictive way that improves outcomes based on traditional scoring models alone. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Michele Tucci, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Credolab. 

Louise Stewart, CEO, ProjectPayPayments are a crucial issue in construction where some 98% of firms in the industry are SMEs. The UK construction sector is struggling with outdated financial models and banking structures but to address these challenges needs more than just the introduction of digital payments. A recent report by platform ProjectPay highlights the sector's cashflow issues. Louise Stewart, CEO of ProjectPay speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Ritesh Varma, VP Business Solutions Consulting, Newgen Software Investigating the opportunities and challenges involved in the implementation of artificial intelligence in the insurance sector – from ensuring fairness and compliance in underwriting via data-driven decision-making to the role AI plays in combatting fraud. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses risk assessment and claims management with Ritesh Varma, VP Business Solutions Consulting of Newgen Software.

Chandini Jain, Founder & CEO, Auquan Auquan offers AI agents for institutional finance and provides a glimpse into the future of  work in investment banking. Agentic AI is already rewriting the role of humans in financial research and analysis – no long, for example,  will junior investment bankers face ‘death by powerpoint'. AI is reshaping workflows, organisations and careers. However, the changes don't mean humans are being left out of the loop. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Chandini Jain, Founder and CEO of Auquan. 

Liat Shetret, Vice President, Global Policy & Regulation, EllipticDebanking is not a new issue but despite efforts by jurisdictions like the USA and Australia introducing legislation to remove barriers for crypto firms, debanking remains a significant obstacle globally. The bottom line? Banks are hesitant to engage with crypto due to perceived risk – but could they be mistaken? Liat Shetret, Vice President, Global Policy & Regulation at blockchain data and intelligence platform Elliptic talks through the issues with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Jorge Lluch, Co-Founder & COO, AbacumAbacum is a financial planning and analysis platform which recently raised $60 million in a Series B funding round. Businesses are under increasing pressure to forecast accurately, and AI-driven planning tools are themselves seen as a critical component to assist CFOs in forecasting revenue, planning headcount and building in the ability to cope with unforeseen macroeconomic headwinds. Jorge Lluch, Co-Founder and COO of Abacum speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Rachel Levi, Head of AI, SwiftThe financial services sector has been using the predictive capabilities of traditional AI for years in use cases such as liquidity management and cash forecasting. However, the introduction of generative AI has created a vast range of opportunities for firms to improve customer support, drive smarter decision-making, and speed up content creation. Rachel Levi, Head of AI at Swift takes Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence through the impact of AI in financial services. 

Daniel Sanchez Grant, SVP International Corp Sales & UK Country Director, AlphaSense There is a global AI talent gap. Rising demand for skilled staff in the area of artificial intelligence has seen AI expertise become the most in-demand skill set in technology with firms struggling to fill roles. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the problem together with the uses of data-driven decisions with Daniel Sanchez Grant, SVP International Corp Sales & UK Country Director of AlphaSense. 

Shalini Sankarshana, MD, PlanviewIndia's banking sector is sprinting through a marathon of digital disruption—and the smartest players are using regulation not as a roadblock, but as guardrails for innovation. In this episode, Shalini Sankarshana, Managing Director at Planview®—an expert in Strategic Portfolio Management and Digital Product Development—tells Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence why banks like Axis and SBI are racing ahead, how speed and security must go hand in hand, and why the future belongs to those who collaborate, not compete. 

Russell Andrews, Head of Wealth & Asset Management Vertical EMEA, FIS The focus on AI implementation in asset management has so far been largely on improving efficiency in routine, low value tasks. Building data lakes and warehouses is the foundational work necessary to enable AI-driven decision-making at scale. True value will emerge when AI is fully integrated into portfolio management and risk analysis. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Russell Andrews, Head of Wealth & Asset Management Vertical EMEA at FIS.

Aidana Zhakupbekova, Chief Financial Officer, RydooTopics in the spotlight include the workplace and compliance benefits of AI, and the integration of AI in existing financial systems. You'll also hear comment on the role of smart audit AI in combatting expense fraud. Aidana Zhakupbekova, Chief Financial Officer of expense management platform Rydoo, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Sarika Agarwal, Chief Business Officer,  FindiIndia's FinTech journey is at an inflection point—where building digital rails is no longer enough. True financial inclusion demands solutions rooted in a local context, blending the physical with the digital to meet users where they are. Sarika Agarwal, Chief Business Officer at FindiPay, speaks with Puja Sharma on embracing cash as a bridge, not a barrier, to align with public infrastructure while plugging access gaps. The focus must shift from scale alone to trust, usability, and sustainable execution. 

Yoann Vandendriessche, Group Chief Product Officer, Intix & NetGuardiansThe payments sector is facing its biggest transformation in a decade. Traditional models are no longer sustainable, and firms need to rethink their strategies, harness real-time transaction data and look to more adaptive infrastructures. Indeed, real-time payments will become the norm, likely to reach 27% of all global payments by 2028. At the same time, growing fraud and compliance burdens are forcing a rethink of data strategies. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Yoann Vandendriessche, Group Chief Product Officer of Intix and NetGuardians.

Ben Goldin, Founder & CEO, PlumeryThe ‘big bang' core replacement model is no longer a viable option for many banks. Instead, a step-by-step approach that overlays new modules over an existing core banking system may offer a way for financial institutions to bring their services up to date. Ben Goldin, Founder and CEO of Plumery speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the path to progressive modernisation. 

Patrick Lemay, Head of Corporate Development, PayRetailersBiometric authentication solutions are about more than just security. While multi-modal authentication is reducing fraud, it also holds the potential to create a more seamless and personalised payment experience. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the opportunities with Patrick Lemay, Head of Corporate Development at PayRetailers.

Kaushal Verma, Head of Global Banking CoE, Newgen SoftwareTechnology has revolutionised lending and the loan origination process. Increasing speed of approval is a huge advantage. SMEs may now access the funds they need almost instantly. Modern digital lending platforms are more flexible, lending practices are more transparent – as examples of this, Kaushal Verma, Head of Global Banking CoE for Newgen Software cites the changing lending market in the UAE. In conversation with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, he also highlights how the use of AI in lending decision-making may help narrow the SME funding gap. 

Will Marwick, CEO, IFX PaymentsWill Marwick describes IFX Payments as a service-led alternative banking partner for its clients. With FX markets excessively volatile in recent days (thanks in no small part to President Trump's wild ride on tariffs), the need for a digital FX and payments solution that offers businesses a quick, secure and easy to use treasury service has been thrown into sharp relief. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Will Marwick of IFX Payments.

Udi Ziv, CEO, PersoneticsAI-powered customer experience is evolving to meet consumers' needs for a personal relationship with their bank. With a mission to democratise financial wellness, cognitive banking offers a fundamental shift in how financial institutions engage with their customers, leveraging advanced data analytics and predictive modelling. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Udi Ziv, CEO of Personetics.

Raj Narayanam, Founder,  ZaggleSaaS innovation, UPI integration, and strong banking partnerships are reshaping spend management and prepaid card solutions, driving smarter, more efficient financial operations. Dr. Raj Narayanam shares insights with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on how these trends are redefining the FinTech landscape. As technology evolves, agility and collaboration will be key to staying ahead. 

Ben Turner, Founder & CEO, VerituityThe US Treasury's decision to phase out paper cheques for government payments by September may well be one of the biggest digital payments tests the US has faced. It is a FinTech challenge that will require banks, FinTechs and payers to align on identity verification, fraud prevention and equitable access at scale. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Ben Turner, Founder and CEO of PayTech specialist Verituity.

Priyank Shah, Co-founder of The FinancialistAI is fast emerging as a powerful enabler in India's wealth management landscape. In this episode, Priyank Shah, Co-founder of The Financialist, joins Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence to discuss how technology is reshaping financial advisory, the evolving regulatory framework, and what the future holds for WealthTech in India.

Rory O'Neill, Chief Marketing Officer, Checkout.comPayments move money; high-performance payments make money. Conversely, failed payments don't just lose money for merchants, they damage trust in the brand and directly undermine brand value. Trust and confidence are fragile things – needed in online commerce but easily undermined if the payment experience is problematic. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Rory O'Neill, Chief Marketing Officer of Checkout.com about ensuring payments work as they should.

Manthan Dave, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Palisade Forecasts that up to 10% of global GDP could be tokenised by 2030 set the scene for a fundamental change in the economic landscape. Alongside these forecasts, the new US administration is now developing crypto regulations and exploring the potential of a crypto strategic reserve. Manthan Dave, Co-CEO of digital asset custody provider Palisade, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about tokenisation and how it will change the way we do business.

Prashant Jajodia, Financial Services Sector Leader & Managing Partner, IBM ConsultingIBM reports that just 8% of banks were systematically developing generative AI in 2024 but that this percentage is set to soar in 2025 as businesses move from pilot to execution in pursuit of profits. Artificial intelligence is set to become the core driver of innovation, transforming AI from a tool into the foundation of a bank's business model. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Prashant Jajodia, Financial Services Sector Leader and Managing Partner of IBM Consulting.

Claire Gates, Head of Payments, Crown Agents BankCrown Agents Bank (CAB) is a UK-regulated, certified B Corp bank and provider of wholesale foreign exchange and cross-border payment services across developing, emerging and frontier markets. Claire Gates, Head of Payments for CAB speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about collaboration between FinTechs and banks, and why it is critical for scaling secure cross-border payments. The conversation also includes discussion about moves towards cashless remittances.

Ben Gamble, Field CTO, VervericaInvestigating the use cases for stream processing technology, such as fraud and anomaly detection; we quantify the value of real-time data analytics for business intelligence and decision-making. Ben Gamble, Field CTO of Ververica talks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the convergence of technologies such as agentic AI and stream processing, and how it can help in the drive towards personalisation.

Andreas Mjelde, Co-Founder & CEO, TwoTwo aims to make it as simple for businesses to purchase online as it is for an end-consumer. When Two's founders were busy scaling their previous ventures, they kept running into the same problem. Businesses were forced to use consumer-based payment solutions that simply didn't meet their needs with convoluted net terms processes often leading to delayed business payments. Now, things are changing with BNPL evolving into the B2B space and AI being used to secure transactions. Andreas Mjelde, Co-Founder and CEO of Two, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Lena Hackelöer, Founder & CEO, Brite PaymentsPowered by open banking, Brite Payments claims to offer transparent, faster, smarter, and more secure payments. Open banking-powered account-to-account payments enable a user to pay for goods or services directly and instantly with their bank account. Brite Payments CEO Lena Hackelöer is a returning guest to the podcast – having appeared first in April 2023. Two years is a long time in FinTech! She discusses the transformation in European consumer payments with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence… and how Brite Payments itself has evolved.

Kapil Dhiman, Co-Founder & CEO, QuraniumConventional blockchains rely on encryption that is vulnerable to quantum threats. Quranium is the first natively quantum-uncrackable Layer 1 blockchain. Kapil Dhiman, Co-Founder and CEO of Quranium discusses the future of digital trust and cryptography with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. Dhiman is a founding member of the Davos Web3 Roundtable and a leading voice on the challenges of quantum resilience in blockchain.

Amit Jain, Partner and Head, IBS Intelligence Breaking into a new market takes more than ambition—it demands clear insight. What works in one region may fail in another. Start with a bird's eye view of the industry, map the ecosystem, and test the product through the eyes of the end user. Early validation and expert input are key to building a strategy that sticks.

Travis Schwab, CEO, EventusEventus focuses on leveraging big data and low latency technologies. Its flagship product, Validus, is a FinTech focused software platform that manages and protects trading firms. Eventus CEO Travis Schwab speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the shifting regulatory landscape and the potential for lighter touch regulation as governments around the world look to promote growth and competitiveness.

Alexander Berrai, Deputy CEO, emerchantpayWe review the changing dynamics of Europe's payments ecosystem, taking in digital wallets, virtual cards, open banking, cross-border transactions, and regional payment preferences. We also discuss the rise of eCommerce in Europe, notably across borders, and in second-hand and social commerce. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Alexander Berrai, Deputy CEO of emerchantpay about some of the findings in the company's latest Global Payments Outlook.

Dipak Nair - Founder and Managing Director, X-Biz TechVenturesX-Biz TechVentures, with its AI-Diagnostics approach, is reshaping cybersecurity for the BFSI sector by uncovering hidden threats like Shadow APIs and third-party vulnerabilities. Dipak discusses with Puja how AI is transforming the cybersecurity playbook - from tackling blind spots in traditional audits to tightening vendor risk management and exposing hidden threats like Shadow APIs. 

Amit Jain, Partner and Head, IBS Intelligence A successful go-to-market strategy demands deep cultural understanding, rigorous due diligence, and the power of structured research—IBSi's Delphi-based approach helps FinTechs decode complex markets and build impactful, insight-led expansion blueprints. 

Pierre Antoine Desoulier, CEO, iBanFirstMaking international payments and handling multiple currencies can introduce significant risk, especially for SMEs. Exchange rates fluctuate all the time, and many banks simply do not cater to the currency risk management needs of smaller companies. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pierre Antoine Desoulier, CEO of cross-border payments platform iBanFirst, which provides custom FX risk strategies to more than 1,000 SME clients.

George Toumbev, Chief Commercial Officer, NatWest Boxed BaaS provider NatWest Boxed has gone live with its first customer, the AA, which will use Boxed's embedded finance platform to offer financial products to millions of personal breakdown members and insurance customers as well as the broader market. The venture marks the first time 2 leading UK brands have agreed a strategic partnership to embed financial services into the customer journey. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the new offering with NatWest Boxed's CCO George Toumbev.

Amit Jain, Partner and Head, IBS Intelligence A successful go-to-market strategy in new territories requires a thorough assessment of critical factors, including market demand, competition, regulation, talent availability, partnerships, and key risks. By combining in-depth secondary research with primary insights, organisations can develop a comprehensive approach to navigate these challenges effectively.

Jamie Twiss, CEO, Carrington LabsFrom predictive analytics to AI-driven automation, banks and financial institutions are rethinking how to leverage data in order to make better decisions. The current challenge? Separating innovation from hype and ensuring that AI is both explainable and effective. Carrington Labs provides enhanced credit risk scoring and loan management solutions powered by explainable AI. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Jamie Twiss, Chief Executive Officer of Australia-based Carrington Labs.

Alexandre Kech, CEO, Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF)Established in the wake of the global financial crisis, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) promotes  the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). GLEIF is a supra-national not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Originally aimed at the derivatives market, the use cases for the LEI have mushroomed, as Alexandre Kech, Chief Executive Officer of GLEIF explains to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Pulak Jain, Co-founder, Chief Business Officer & Head of Strategy, TransBnkTransBnk is a comprehensive transaction banking platform that facilitates all kinds of financial transactions for corporates and NBFCs. The range of services on offer includes digital lending, supply chain solutions, marketplace solutions, capital market services, and custodial services, alongside cash management and payments. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pulak Jain, Co-founder, Chief Business Officer and Head of Strategy at TransBnk.

Senthil Gunasekaran, Chief Business Officer, KFintechIndia's Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) landscape is at a turning point, with technology redefining fund administration, investor access, and regulatory compliance. In this episode, we explore how emerging tech, evolving regulations, and new market opportunities are transforming the way alternative investments work in India.

Srinivas Nidugondi, Chief Operating Office, Digital Financial Solutions, Comviva TechnologiesWhat makes digital payments better than cash? It's a simple question with complex answers that change from country to country as digital payment solutions are shaped by the cultures in which they are embedded. It is clear, however, that fast or slow the rising trend in digital transactions is leaving cash behind. Srinivas Nidugondi, Chief Operating Officer FinTech for Comviva Technologies speaks on all things payments to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence

Emily Steele, President, SavanaHeadlines in the UK and Europe still talk of bank branch closures, However, in the US there are signs of a resurgence in traditional banking, with almost 100 net new branches opening in 2023 and almost double that number in 2024. Despite the digital shift, even in Gen Z, when asked their preference, a majority would opt for personalised advice. There is an opportunity here for banks to re-imagine the in-person experience. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Emily Steele, President of banking tech provider Savana.

Thomas Müller, Co-founder, RiveroRivero is a SaaS FinTech, offering software to banks to assist in dispute management and fraud recovery, as well as payment scheme compliance management. The company's solutions address inefficiencies in the back office of banking institutions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks with Rivero Co-founder Thomas Müller.