When it comes to the tech revolution, it’s not all about the coasts or the biggest cities. Although areas like Silicon Valley continue to dominate the headlines and the public imagination, there’s an undercurrent of tech growth and innovation in “Heartland” and “Rust Belt” areas like Ohio. This week, host Lynn Sautter Beal talks with Chris Berry, President and CEO of OhioX, about the vibrant growth of Ohio's tech industry. Chris explains the industry’s historical evolution in the state, its cur...

In today’s episode, host Lynn Sautter Beal talks with https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-jaccard-murrish-b324a52b/, CEO of https://www.pieram.com/, about the waves she and her firm are making in the market — targeting less liquid and underserved...

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to regulation in the world of financial services. Sometimes it’s a matter of encouraging fintech companies to engage in responsible behaviors—and other times it’s a matter of allowing responsible FinTech companies to continue operating responsibly without regulatory burdens. This week’s host, Lynn Sautter Beal, is joined by Phil Goldfeder, CEO at American Fintech Council, and former New York State Assembly member. Phil has a wealth of experience and knowled...

For financial service professionals, it’s important to meet the needs of their customers and clients. But it’s equally important that they ensure they’re leaving no stone unturned when it comes to harnessing the latest technological solutions that can make their job — and the consumer’s experience — as frictionless as possible. This week, host Matt Snow is joined by Greg Blausey, Senior Director of Banking Industry Solutions & Strategy at Salesforce, and Amir Madjlessi, Managing Director and Ba...

On today’s episode, host Lynn Sautter Beal is joined by https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-hrna-45b60847/, Senior Vice President at https://www.regions.com/personal-banking to discuss inflationary pressures and market volatility impacting banks...

For many in the financial industry, it’s not hard to see banks and financial institutions committed to providing services that are both effective AND ethical. But all that work is for nothing if fair and responsible banking practices aren’t carried out successfully. Today, host Lynn Sautter Beal speaks with Lindsay Yousif (Executive Director of Compliance at Ally) and Nick Roesler (Fair and Responsible Banking Officer at U.S. Bank). In their roles as chairs of the CBA’s Fair and Responsible Ban...

This week, host Matt Snow talks with https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-shepard-7ba9b313/, Senior VP - Head of Consumer Lending Partnerships at https://careers.usbank.com/global/en, about trends, best practices, and concerns within the world of home...

AI is top of mind for most financial services organizations, but the question of, 'where to begin?' remains. Upstart's new AI in Financial Services Professional Certification course is designed to give banking professionals a firm grounding for the potential of AI in financial services —with a particular focus on credit—as well as practical tools to help them begin the journey of applying AI inside their organizations. This week, host Lynn Sautter Beal is joined by Jeff Keltner, Startup Advisor...

On today’s episode, host Matt Snow is joined by https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-zabritski-3951834/, Sr. Director at https://www.experian.com/automotive/auto-data, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-pregmon-aa4b922/, Head of Credit Operations at...

To reliably forecast what the future of finance the economy holds, you must be able to assess the current moment. This week, host Lynn Sautter Beal speaks with Joseph Mayans, Chief Economist at Experian, who shares his economic and credit outlook for the year ahead in 2024, along with consumer credit trends and potential risk areas. Join us as we discuss: Key factors shaping a more optimistic 2024 compared to 2023 The dichotomy between a strong economy and labor market with slow credit growt...

This week, hosts Lynn Sautter Beal and Matt Snow are joined by https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvindchen/, Senior Executive VP, Head of Policy at the https://www.linkedin.com/company/consumer-bankers-association/. Kelvin shares his assessment of the...

With periods of financial collapse and upheaval serving as the catalyst, movers and shakers in the world of digital finance solutions have navigated a host of challenges — all while tending to the concerns of regulators and the needs of consumers alike. This week, our host Lynn Sautter Beal is joined by Penny Lee, President and CEO at Financial Technology Association to break down all things fintech and how it intersects with regulatory changes, financial crises, and innovative product developm...

Joining our host Drew Megrey is https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-dryer-72744054/, VP of Consumer Lending and Centralized Deposits at https://www.linkedin.com/company/westerra-credit-union/. Jared brings a passion for streamlining processes for...

This week, our host Barry Roach is joined by https://www.linkedin.com/in/-nathan-cox/, CEO of https://www.inroadscu.org/, to discuss his transition from banking to the world of credit unions, as well as the stakeholder-focused culture and societal...

How will responsible data practices and blockchain technology shape the financial technology landscape this year? Join our host, Matt Snow and guest Sanjib Kalita, Head of Industry at Fintech Meetup, as they explore key themes such as data technology, blockchain, and the importance of networking in the industry's evolution. From personal experiences with bad data to the potential of blockchain for data ownership, listeners gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the...

Joining our host https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardswalters/ this week is Simon Darchis, Head of Partnerships at https://www.finwise.bank/, to discuss his trajectory in the financial services sector from Europe to the US. With this multi-cultural...

Stacy Armijo, the Chief Experience Officer at Amplify Credit Union, joins our host Drew Megrey to share her path to credit union leadership and discusses how Amplify has made strides to prioritize their member experience, including going fee-free on checking and savings accounts. Discussed in this episode: Diversity in product development and the importance of aligning products with the needs of diverse customer demographics. The strategic move towards fee-free banking, including the eliminat...

The new year always brings change, and Leaders in Lending is no exception. Our long-time host, Jeff Keltner, is taking on new opportunities, but he is excited to pass the mic to a wonderful group of new co-hosts for this new era of Leaders in Lending! Moving into the host seat we have 5 co-hosts joining us, all with deep expertise in the current lending climate. Edward Walters, VP account management at Upstart Matt Snow, Head of solutions consulting at Upstart Barry Roach, Senior Account Manag...

2023 has been a big year for the advancement of AI across all industries. But how have these changes helped community banks scale and improve their lending portfolios? And how has taking that leap to partner with FinTechs been transformative? Bob Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga Bank, is a fifth generation community banker who believes incorporating partnerships to drive innovation is the best path forward for small banks. He joins Jeff to get into the specifics on what has worked (and what h...

Who would be bold enough to start a bank during a recession? https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-stevens-a16a68159/, President and CEO at https://www.oconeestatebank.com/, and his team were, and he has lessons to share on how the constraints actually...

With the right mix of innovation and growth, credit unions can prioritize community, culture, and informed decision-making in serving diverse markets. Corlinda Wooden, SVP/Chief Retail Officer at Unitus Community Credit Union, discusses the development and execution of their comprehensive strategic plan aimed at serving diverse markets. Driven by passionate leadership, their approach emphasizes authentic community engagement. Leveraging data insights, translation services, and strategic partne...

AI is not inherently intelligent, but do we need our computers and machines to think like us? Some might be reluctant to test the boundaries of Generative AI intelligence, but https://www.linkedin.com/in/vosspeter/, CEO & Chief Scientist at...

Is your bank adapting to evolving credit demands? Banks and private lenders have been slow to adopt technology, but with shifting demands for credit products in both consumer and business markets, the imperative to offer a diverse portfolio of...

Your home page highlights your bank’s main points of focus — are you conveying the right message? Whether it be blog posts serving to inform and educate the community or new lines of products available for sale, your customers can get a grasp on what...