Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

Benjamin Conant, Chief Product Officer at Alkami and co-founder of MANTL, is a fintech product leader reshaping digital account opening and unified banking. He discusses why piecemeal upgrades fail against fintechs. He explores turning branches into profit centers, the critical moment after account opening, AI co-pilots, and vendor consolidation for speed and scale.

Your Gen Z strategy is putting your organization’s growth at risk. New research from Primax, shows that only 12 percent of Gen Z consider a community or regional bank their primary financial institution. Will these Gen Z consumers move their parents' relationship out of your institution? By 2035, Gen Z will be the largest and wealthiest generation in history. And 72 percent say they face financial challenges unlike those of any other generation. They're seeking a financial partner who understands their reality far beyond a simple transaction. The bottom line is that customer loyalty is thin, opening accounts at new institutions is easy, and growth is no longer guaranteed. Today on Banking Transformed, I'm joined by Carrie Stapp, Vice President of Marketing at Primax. We're unpacking what the Banking in Focus research report reveals about what's broken in how banks approach Gen Z – and what you need to fix now before future growth moves elsewhere. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Primax Primax provides banks with payment processing services and an expansive array of value-added technology and solutions. Primax’s customizable solutions, including risk management, mobile and online card management, data and analytics, loyalty programs, marketing, strategic consulting, delinquency management and contact center services, help banks profitably grow their portfolios and deliver an unparalleled experience to their accountholders. With a longstanding commitment to service excellence, Primax has been designing and providing support services for banks throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean for over 40 years. For more information, visit www.primax.us.

Banking executives know their industry is being disrupted. What they don't know is how much of their balance sheet they've already lost control of. According to Accenture, more than $200 trillion in global bank deposits and loans are now at risk, and that threat isn’t coming from another bank. It’s coming from stablecoins, AI agents that can automatically optimize finances, and platforms that can quickly move cash, often outside the traditional banking system. Today's guest is Mike Abbott from Accenture. His team's new report on the top banking trends for 2026 reveals some uncomfortable truths. Seventy percent of IT spending still goes to maintaining outdated systems. Margin compression could reduce US bank pre-tax income by 22%. And many of those loyal customers who've stayed with their bank for seven years? The research calls them "lazy loyalists." The real question for banking leaders isn’t whether this shift is happening, but how much of the balance sheet they’ll still control when it does. Mike joins us to discuss how banks can respond to threats moving faster than their modernization efforts.

Brandon Sailors, VP at CSG focused on billing, engagement and data-driven solutions. Richard Ullenius, CSG executive leading bank transformation and modernization. They discuss why outdated back offices drag growth. They cover realistic modernization steps, using AI as a decision partner, balancing risk and compliance, and turning data into actionable signals for smarter pricing and faster service.

From Walmart and Amazon to banks and credit unions, stablecoins are accelerating a banking reset that is already reshaping how payments move. In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Dr. Lamont Black, Associate Professor of Finance at DePaul University. We will break down why stablecoins represent a fundamental shift in financial infrastructure, not another crypto cycle. We will also explore how emerging payment rails challenge traditional card networks, what this means for deposits, data, and interchange revenue, and how financial institutions of all sizes should prepare for what comes next. This conversation is essential listening for banking executives, payments leaders, and fintech professionals who want to understand the real impact of stablecoins, the strategic risks of waiting, and how the banking reset is already unfolding.

Most financial institutions say they are data-driven. Far fewer can prove it in customer acquisition and relationship growth success. At a time when marketing costs are rising, response rates are under pressure, and every institution has access to the same channels, data is often the difference between growth and wasted spend. Today’s conversation is about how data actually drives results, not dashboards, not buzzwords, but measurable connections with the right consumers at the right time. We are going to talk about how modeling, channel orchestration, and analytics are reshaping direct marketing for banks and credit unions, and why doing this well is becoming a competitive necessity. I am joined by Preston Carroll, Director of Data and Analytics, and Eddie Tu, Principal Statistical Analyst at Franklin Madison Direct. Together, they work at the intersection of data science, marketing strategy, and financial services growth. Today, we will unpack what actually works, where institutions get it wrong, and how leaders can move from data awareness to data advantage. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Franklin Madison Franklin Madison Direct is a premier direct marketing agency within the Franklin Madison Group. Specializing in performance-driven strategies, FM Direct empowers financial and insurance brands to connect with their ideal audiences and achieve outstanding growth. The agency supports clients in expanding their customer base profitably through diverse acquisition channels, including direct mail, paid search, paid social, and display advertising. https://franklinmadisondirect.com/

Shanthi Shanmugam, CEO and co-founder of KSAP, previously led product developments at Robinhood and Chime, focusing on first-party fraud. She sheds light on how this hidden issue, arising from customers disputing legitimate transactions, costs financial institutions a staggering $100 billion. Shanthi discusses the misconceptions banks have about disputes, the rise of fraud during economic hardship, and the need for accountability and innovative solutions like a first-party fraud score. Her insights on automating dispute processes and in-housing operations offer a transformative vision for the banking industry.

Phil Tomlinson is a Senior VP at TaskUs, specializing in tech-enabled services, while Pragya Agarwal oversees financial crimes risk operations. They discuss how banks are falling behind in digital experiences compared to tech-driven industries. Adopting empathy through predictive financial guidance is essential. AI's role in triaging cases is crucial, but human oversight remains necessary for complex issues. They highlight the importance of owning identity verification to foster trust in an increasingly app-driven financial landscape.

Banking leaders face an urgent threat as nearly half of their skills could soon be obsolete. Continuous learning is now the key to staying relevant, with technology accelerating the pace of change. Personal stories highlight transformative journeys, while generative AI emerges as a powerful tool for skill enhancement. Those who embrace AI will thrive, while laggards risk falling behind. A strong message emphasizes dedicating an hour each day to learning and adapting, ensuring leaders remain effective in an ever-evolving landscape.

Siya Vansia, Chief Brand and Innovation Officer at ConnectOne Bank, and Suzan Chaffin, EVP of Solutions at LoanPro, tackle the crucial gap between banks' promises and customer experiences. They highlight the importance of genuine innovation and the dangers of retrofitting new technology to outdated processes. The conversation dives into building internal advocates for transformation, the balance of digital and high-touch services, and the need for banks to define clear goals with technology partners to drive meaningful change in the financial landscape.