Episodes

May 29, 2024

Navigating the Data Race in Financial Services

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...
May 22, 2024

Under Inflationary Pressure: Reshaping Strategy

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...
May 15, 2024

The Fairness Frontline: Insights in Fair & Responsible Banking

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...
142
May 8, 2024

No Place Like Home Equity: 2024 Lending Insights

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...
May 1, 2024

Launching Upstart’s AI Certification Course

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...
139
May 1, 2024

2024 Auto Trends: Financing, Sales, and Consumer Behavior

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...
138
April 24, 2024

Charting the Economic Horizon: Resiliency, Risk and Credit Trends

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...
137
April 17, 2024

Regulation Reimagined: Banking Beyond Partisanship

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...
136
April 3, 2024

Navigating Global and Personal Financial Crises with FinTech

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...
135
March 20, 2024

Automated Excellence and Adaptive Automotive

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...
March 6, 2024

Where Corporate Growth and Community Impact Collide

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...
133
Feb. 21, 2024

Data Ownership and Industry Collaboration in FinTech

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...
Feb. 7, 2024

From Europe to the US: Cultural and Market Nuances in FinTech

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...
131
Jan. 24, 2024

Going Fee-Free: Reimagining Member Satisfaction

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...
130
Jan. 10, 2024

Passing the Mic: 2024 Host Lineup

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...
129
Dec. 6, 2023

Fifth-Gen Wisdom: Community Bank FinTech Partnerships

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...
128
Nov. 22, 2023

From Big Bank to Community Leader

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...
129
Nov. 8, 2023

Cultivating Diversity: Innovative Strategies for Credit Unions

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...
126
Oct. 25, 2023

Cognitive AI for Transformative Customer Service

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...
125
Oct. 11, 2023

High-Touch Service in Changing Commercial Lending Tech

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...
124
Sept. 27, 2023

Synchronizing Values and Operations for an Aligned Brand

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...
Sept. 13, 2023

Approaching Community Banking Through First Principles

For a community bank to connect with today’s clients and the clients of the future, they must be at the forefront of technology. Darryl Caffee, SVP, Director of Retail Lending at Webster Five found his way into the banking industry through law. His unique perspective and experience have allowed him to take non-traditional approaches to community, business and designing lending solutions. Darryl joins us to share how and why today’s smaller and community banks need to embrace a larger lending me...
122
Aug. 30, 2023

Combating Financial Fraud: Fintech’s Game-Changing Role

For so long, new tech has been utilized by fraud artists, costing many unsuspecting victims countless dollars. Now, AI tools and strong fintech partnerships could be used to stop fraud in its tracks. With quickly evolving innovations, financial institutions must be at the forefront of tech. Kyle Hauptman, Vice Chairman at NCUA shares his views on the changes facing the industry and how they can be beneficial for everyone. Join us as we discuss: Adapt or close: staying relevant in today’s tech...
121
Aug. 16, 2023

Cross-selling Members for Long-term Growth

Commonwealth Credit Union’s partnership with Upstart shows how fintech partnerships can unlock potential in financial institutions. Automation drives innovation, allowing for financial institutions to focus on what matters most: supporting their customers in their journey to stellar financial health. Our guest for this webinar, Jaynel Christensen, Chief Growth Officer at Commonwealth Credit Union, discusses the new opportunities being made available. Join us as we discuss: Innovative solution...