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 the future of work and the impact on education, lifestyle, commerce and even the environmental agenda.

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 digital channels while remaining agile during turbulent times.  

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 global banking companies.

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.