Security by Design & Scaling with Confidence: A CTO’s Journey at Allica Bank

What does it take to modernise legacy technology, scale teams, and embed security at the heart of product development — all while navigating growth and regulation? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Grant Ongers, Head of Security Practice, speaks with Ravneet Shah, CTO of Allica Bank, about her journey from Lead Developer to CTO and the realities of building secure, scalable technology in a fast-growing fintech. 

Ravneet shares how Allica Bank improved legacy systems, built a modern technology stack, and upskilled growing teams — while ensuring security is designed in from the start through continuous collaboration, awareness, and threat modelling. 

Key topics covered: 
• Transitioning from Lead Developer to CTO during rapid growth 
• Modernising legacy technology and building a new tech stack 
• Embedding security by design through awareness and threat modelling 
• Upskilling teams while maintaining regulatory and technical discipline 
• Why technology should be treated as a strategic partner, not a cost centre 

This episode is essential listening for CTOs, security leaders, engineering managers, and fintech leaders navigating scale, regulation, and secure digital transformation. 

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.