Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

In the book, 'Disrupt Yourself', by Whitney Johnson, it is suggested that the disruptions and changes that matter most start with personal disruptions and change. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted every person’s life and every organization’s business model.   The crisis has impacted the way we learn, the way we interact, the way we work and the way we think about our personal and corporate priorities. Every step of the way, modern digital technologies have been brought front and center, with the importance of data, advanced analytics and contextualization being shown to be more important than ever.   We are fortunate to be joined today by Tamara McCleary, the CEO of Thulium and a top 10 social media influencer in AI, robotics, digital technology and martech. A globally recognized futurist and keynote speaker, Tamara shares her perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on the technology ecosystem and what consumers will be expecting when this crisis subsides.

After COVID-19, the world around us will be changed forever. In a matter of weeks, working from home has become the norm, not the exception. The virus has forced a reckoning of how we view work, travel, engagement with others and the technologies that make these possible.   Before the pandemic, digital transformation was optional for many organizations. When COVID-19 took hold, necessity dictated that all organizations ‘become digital’. Virtually all work that can be done online has gone online, with new ways to collaborate and innovate. With work-from-home quickly becoming the norm, it is unlikely that the corporate office will be the only place to ‘get things done’ in the future.   Our guest is Benjamin Pring, head of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work. Ben is a co-author of the best-selling books, 'What To Do When Machines Do Everything' and 'Code Halos; How the Digital Lives of People, Things, and Organizations are Changing the Rules of Business'. In this episode, Ben provides a glimpse into th

Despite the best intentions, consumers do not always act rationally with regards to money management. While we all know that we should limit debt and increase savings, many people live day-to-day, and have far less set aside for financial emergencies than needed.   Unfortunately, most people’s irrational behavior around money became exposed with the impact of COVID-19. Across the globe, households lost their safety net of predictable events that they depended on, from a regular paycheck to savings that they had planned to set aside.   Today’s guest on the podcast is Dan Ariely, the foremost researcher of behavioral economics in the world. A prolific best-selling author, fintech advisor and professor at Duke University, Ariely discusses why humans don’t always act rationally about money and the result of these irrational behaviors. He also shares thoughts on how consumers and financial institutions can recover from the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

I had the unique opportunity to visit WeLab as part of my visit to China in early January. WeLab uses proprietary risk management technology and advanced AI to analyze mobile data within seconds, providing financial solutions to over 42 million customers across Asia. WeLab is also one of the first institutions to receive a virtual banking license in Hong Kong.   Despite the advanced technology and innovative deployment of digital products and services, what impressed me most about WeLab during my visit was the evolving culture of the organization and the commitment to employee as well as customer satisfaction.   Today’s guest on the podcast is Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab. During our interview, Simon shares his perspective on how to use mobile data to create customer profiles and the importance of culture within a rapidly growing organization. We also discuss the lingering impact of COVID-19 on his organization and on China.

According to the 2019 U.S. Financial Health Pulse report, less than 30% of Americans could be considered financially healthy, with millions of households not having enough money in savings to get through a month. These are the people who are the most at risk given today’s COVID-19 crisis.   The longer this crisis continues, the greater the financial impact on consumers at all levels. Protracted and dynamic pandemic conditions will also draw out anxiety and financial stress impacting relationships and creating underlying phychosocial behaviors. Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better.   Today’s guest on the podcast is Jennifer Tescher, President & CEO of the Financial Health Network, the nation’s authority on consumer financial health. Tescher founded the Financial Health Network in 2004. During our interview, Jennifer shares her perspective on what both government and the banking industry need to do to support the financial health of all citizens.

The number of bank branches and the number of people visiting bank branches has been decreasing for years. As a result of recent events, many organizations have closed branches completely, while others have reverted to auto teller operations.   Could the Coronavirus create a shift in attitude, as people are forced to bank online or on their mobile devices? More importantly, as consumers get more comfortable, and find that managing their money digitally is easier and safer, will they stop visiting their bank branch altogether … even after the pandemic ends?   Today’s guest on the podcast is Jamie Warder, EVP and head of digital banking at KeyBank. Prior to joining Key, Jamie was the President of USAA Bank as well as working at Capital One, PNC Bank and McKinsey & Co. During our interview, Jamie discusses the way KeyBank is shifting to a more digital organization, while still supporting traditional channels. He also discusses how KeyBank is responding to the recent marketplace changes.

The push for digital banking amid the growing emphasis on social distancing has put a spotlight on those organizations that have lagged behind the marketplace with digital delivery and digital transformation. But, can laggard organizations pick up the pace when the rest of the world grinds to a halt?   We are faced with a unique time in banking where organizations that have invested in advanced analytics, innovation and digital transformation have the opportunity to leverage their customer experience and digital product advantages more than ever.   Today’s guest on the podcast is Jeremy Balkin, the head of innovation at HSBC. Jeremy is also the author of two books, ‘Investing with Impact: Why Finance is a Force for Good’, and ‘Millennialization of Everything: How to Win When Millennials Rule the World’. During our interview, Jeremy discusses the importance of innovation during times of disruption and how organizations can go further to illustrate empathy through innovation.

The marketing profession has moved from art to science, with the use of new technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI), with a level of personalization and real-time communication only dreamed of in the past. But, how does marketing change during a time of economic crisis?   As opposed to using marketing to sell products, how can marketing be leveraged to help customers manage their finances and provide support during difficult times? Where speed, tone and clarity of communication is of utmost importance, how can financial institutions help consumers use channels they may be unfamiliar with and proactively provide financial solutions they may be unaware of?   Today’s guest is Rohit Mahna, head of the financial services practice at Salesforce. He’s got an insider’s perspective on how financial institutions can use data and advanced analytics to meet consumer needs while building brand loyalty. We discuss how organizations can combine empathy with solution-based marketing, moving transactions to d

Financial institutions that are leaders in the use of data and AI are quickly differentiating themselves in a marketplace that puts a premium on data-backed decisions and intelligent interactions.   AI brings the potential for disruption and transformation due to its ability to make decisions and take action much quicker than its human counterparts. It has been seen as a means of increasing productivity within a company and improving revenues through better customer engagements.   But the use of AI is not without pitfalls, risks and detractors. Will AI discriminate between classes of people? Will AI be used for good or just corporate greed? How should the use of AI be regulated?   To discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI in banking, we interviewed Dan Faggella, founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence research agency, Emerj. Dan is a globally recognized speaker on the use-cases of artificial intelligence in business, and has presented to the World Bank, the United Nations, INTERPOL, and g

The marketplace is in a state of confusion and disruption as the coronavirus outbreak impacts the banking ecosystem and all industries worldwide. Changing valuations and funding options for legacy and non-traditional financial firms are creating the need for new business models as well as opportunities for partnerships and the platform for new government regulations.   To discuss the global impact of fintech organizations and the potential of open banking, financial inclusion, and sustainability as consumer demands change, we are honored to be joined by William Russell, the Lord Mayor for the City of London. As holder of a post that dates from the 12th century, Mr Russell's role is to promote investment in regional fintech firms and to encourage government support of the overall financial services industry in the region.

In a digital world, consumers want experiences that are highly personalized and contextual. From the way they search to the way they shop, view content or do banking, consumers expect organizations to know them, look out for them and reward them. Unfortunately, the majority organizations are only delivering basic personalization and are focused more on product sales than on helping the consumer manage their finances or their daily life. In other words, there is a massive personalization gap.   On today’s podcast, we will discuss the importance and process of delivering hyper-personalized experiences, across all channels, as part of digital transformation. We will also discuss the importance of creating personalized engagement that requires a minimal of effort from the consumer to ‘make it happen’.   I am joined today by Jody Bhagat, president of the Americas for award-winning financial services personalization agency, Personetics. Jody is an industry veteran, having previously been a partner at McKinsey &

Traditional organizations find rebels to be disruptive troublemakers who make processes and decisions more difficult. Legacy organizations that are embracing digital transformation find these same 'misfits' to be a positive influence on innovation, creativity, growth and cultural change.   We are joined today by Matteo Rizzi, who has authored a great book entitled, 'Talents and Rebels'. In this episode, he discusses interviews and personal observations that make a case for organizations to embrace those people who may appear disruptive to the norm. In fact, he suggests that we should seek out more of this type of talent.

Digital transformations have an exceeding high failure rate despite being one of the most important components of a firm's long-term survival. Digital transformation requires must more than just a flashy mobile app or new technology.   To understand the dynamics of how to succeed with digital transformation, we are joined by Tony Saldanha, previous head of operations and digital transformation at Proctor and Gamble and currently the president of Transformant, a Cincinnati-based consulting firm focused on digital transformation.   As the author of the book, 'Why Digital Transformations Fail', Tony shares his 5-stage framework that any company can follow to successfully navigate its own digital transformation. Tony discusses why the ultimate proof of an organization’s success at digital transformation is its cultural, not technical rewiring.

We have often discussed the correlation between innovation and digital transformation, and the positive impact on consumer satisfaction, investment in advanced technology, the presence of top management support and the positive impact on revenues. But, while technology may enable the disruption required, it is often the application of existing technology in new ways that disrupts an industry. Finally, while disruption is not always fast, it is the lack of reaction to disruption that catches incumbents flat footed.   We are very fortunate to have Charlene Li on the show today. Charlene is the founder and senior fellow at Altimeter, a Prophet company. She is the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller 'Open Leadership', and co-author of the book 'Goundswell'. Her latest book, 'The Disruption Mindset' is the culmination of years of research and experiences in the field helping leaders and organizations transform.   On this episode, you will learn the secret of successful disruption, the

The debate about what city is the fintech capital of the world continues, as more players enter the market and more money is invested into the very active fintech ecosystem. Is the fintech capital London, New York, the Silicon Valley or elsewhere? Should the title go to the city with the most players, the greatest fintech investment or the largest number of users of challenger bank or bank challenger services?   My perspective on a possible candidate for the fintech capital definitely changed when I visited Shenzhen, China recently. From the advancement of smart city technologies, to the deployment and use of digital technologies for payments, energy management, operational efficiency and even daily tasks like shopping and eating out, I have never experienced so many modern advancements than during my short week in China.   As part two of my review of my tour of Shenzhen, I am joined today by Brett King, author of many best selling books on the future of banking and the host of the number one fintech podc

China is quickly becoming home to the largest fintech ecosystem in the world, benefiting from historically low use of traditional banking, high smartphone penetration, a changing demographic and a consumer acceptance of banking without traditional infrastructure. Dominated by giants like Baidu, Ant, PingAn and Tencent, combined with many highly successful start-ups like WeLab, the success in delivering both personalized financial services and an impressive level of financial inclusion is a model for the rest of the world.   This is not a story of disruption of legacy banking as much as a story of filling a previously unmet need for advanced financial services supported by smartphones.   To discuss how fintech firms have benefited from open access to data, and how the Chinese consumer benefits from value added services not available to most in the world, I am joined by my friend, Matt Dooley, founding board member of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong and founder of Connected Thinking Ltd. who guided a t

Digital Banking Report has just released a study on the current state of digital transformation in the banking industry. This research not only looks at the digital transformation maturity of banking today, but also the components of digital transformation leader organizations.   The research found that there is still more hype than reality when we look at the progress of digital transformation in banking. While the focus in on improving the customer experience, few organizations have leveraged intelligent technologies to deliver on this mission.   To discuss this research report and the implications of the findings, I am joined by Alan Trefler, Founder and CEO of Pega – the sponsor of the Digital Banking Report research. Alan not only provides his perspective on where the industry is from a technology perspective, but also discusses the challenges of embracing new business models, finding the right talent, changing internal cultures and creating customer engagement.

A great deal of recent research finds that simply buying the best or newest technology will not create digital transformation success. Beyond technology, it is imperative to have the right people, processes and organizational dynamics that will allow companies to be more agile, risk tolerant and experimental. In other words, legacy cultures must be disrupted.   Today's podcast features Gerald (Jerry) Kane from Boston College. Jerry is one of the 4 authors of the exceptional book, ‘The Technology Fallacy’. This book draws on 4 years of research between MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte that surveyed 16,000 people and included interviews with companies like Walmart, Google, Salesforce and several other top brands. The findings reinforce the proposition that there is a need to rethink leadership and talent in the digital age and that business models need to change.

The ability to compete in the future will require new systems, new processes and a new culture. One option is to build a successor bank that would be a network of only a few branches or a completely branchless offering separate from the legacy organization. The future will require differentiation defined by customer experience and innovative offerings similar to what is being offered by fintech and big tech organizations. To get a perspective on the need to disrupt current banking paradigms, I interviewed Kevin Travis, executive vice president of Novantas. Travis shares the options available and the cost of inaction by current banks and credit unions.

Consumers insist on experiences that are personalized, friction-free and that make their lives easier. It’s no longer enough for organizations to state they are making improved customer experiences a priority. The consumer needs to feel that the companies they buy from know them, look out for them and are willing to reward them.   To get a perspective on how advanced technologies are impacting customer experience strategies, I am fortunate to be joined by Blake Morgan, author of the book, “The Customer of the Future”. Blake is considered one of the leading authorities on the changes occurring in the world of customer experience. She has worked with some of the most prominent global brands and is a contributor to Forbes and the Harvard Business Review. She is also the host of the podcast, The Modern Customer.