Bai Banking Strategies

Many U.S. banks are building scale via acquisition. Among the largest institutions, Citizens Bank looks to be the pacesetter. Don McCree, vice chairman and head of commercial banking at Citizens, is with us to talk about its M&A strategy and what he sees ahead for the industry.

Millennials and Gen Z represent almost half of the U.S. population, and they’re growing up so fast. Rajesh Shah from Citizens Bank and Bal Shukla from Infosys join us to discuss why lending is the right product set for banks to build strong relationships with younger Americans.

In recent years, an increasing number of Americans have walked away from their credit history through a maneuver known as "credit washing." Jason Kratovil, head of public policy at SentiLink, explains what credit washing is and the cost it’s imposing on the banking industry.

The blockchain is for more than just cryptocurrencies, but how can banks best put this technology to work? Zack Bishop from Synovus Financial, a one-time crypto miner, is with us to talk about the blockchain and a new stablecoin project that his bank is a part of.

One of the pandemic's significant impacts is that it has led to a surge of new small businesses being formed across the U.S. Karl Dahlgren, managing director for research at BAI, joins us to talk about new BAI Banking Outlook research that sheds light on what small businesses want from their banks.

Banking customers want fast, they want safe and they want both available to them digitally. Heidi Hunter, VP of product innovations at IDology, joins us to talk about digital identity verification and how it can help banks and credit unions deliver speed and security.

With April being Financial Literacy Month, the focus of this week's podcast is education. Rod Griffin, who leads consumer education at Experian, joins us to talk about what Americans need to know financially, and how banks can help them learn.

Two years after the pandemic began, the rush to digital by banks and credit unions continues at a rapid clip. Josh Brown, chief operating officer at BrightFi, joins us to discuss what digital transformation might look like for smaller financial institutions.

When Climate First is part of your name, it’s clear where your priorities lie. Ken LaRoe, founder and CEO at Climate First Bank, joins us to talk about his startup institution, its name and its values in the context of broader issues in banking today.

With all the pressing challenges that community banks face, should they also devote brain space to cryptocurrencies? Shuki Licht, chief innovation officer at Finastra, makes his case for why community banks should be focused on crypto now.

Improving the digital customer experience is one of 2022’s top business challenges for financial services providers, according to BAI Banking Outlook research. Gaurav Bhatia, chief marketing and digital experience officer at PenFed Credit Union, joins us to talk about what his institution is doing for its 2.6 million members and how it’s working.

Millions of Americans are living their lives largely outside the banking system. Lisa Fischer, chief growth and lending officer at Mission Lane, joins us to discuss how data can be used to provide more financial access to the underbanked.

Bank mergers are occurring at a brisk pace these days. Some deals will be successful, while others will be less so. What accounts for the diverging outcomes? Vibhas Ratanjee, a specialist in M&A integration from Gallup, discusses the role culture can play in making it more likely that a banking merger will work out according to the dealmakers’ plans.

Rising inflation joins growing competition and digital disruption as key threats for banking in 2022. Prominent banking analyst Tom Brown tells us why he nonetheless has a rosy outlook for the industry this year.

Digital banking continues to grow in momentum and importance. Jacquie Hersch, head of industry marketing for financial services at ServiceNow, joins us to discuss digital transformation and how banks can offer even more effective digital products and services.

When the pandemic restricted access to branch lobbies, customers took to the idea of making appointments when doing their banking. Matt Hertel from UKG joins us to talk about the current state of appointment-setting and where he sees it going in the years ahead.

Credit unions are getting more active in the bank-buying business as a way to add scale and efficiencies. Our guest is Jeff Disterhoft, who heads Iowa’s GreenState Credit Union, the most active M&A player in that market.

With the end of 2021 in sight, it’s time to start thinking about what we might experience in banking in the coming year. Karl Dahlgren, who heads the research group at BAI, is with us to talk about emerging issues and ongoing trends that stand to affect the industry in 2022.

Banking-related fraud cases have soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. David Schneiderman and Andrew Corbett from NICE Actimize join us to discuss the fraud trends that have become a huge customer-security challenge, and how banks and credit unions can fight back.

As banks and credit unions undergo digital transformation, the mortgage department is getting its share of attention. This is making the mortgage process much faster and less manual. Phillip Petrie, vice president at ServiceLink, joins us to discuss how automation and other advances are streamlining the mortgage business.