Bai Banking Strategies

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.

Growing competition in financial services is fueling a corresponding upswing in innovation among both new entrants and established players. BAI's Debbie Bianucci and Dennis Gada from Infosys discuss the latest innovations they're seeing, and how those advances stand to change the industry.

Leverage data and relationships — that, in a nutshell, is Fifth Third Bank’s plan to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Stephanie Smith, who heads the bank’s DEI efforts, tells us more about building a program to provide greater access and opportunity, both in the bank and in the community.

Digital banking made tremendous gains during the pandemic. While some banks and credit unions lagged, others set the pace. David Tuyo, head of Los Angeles-based University Credit Union, joins us to talk about what his institution has done, where it’s headed and what others can learn from UCU's acceleration into digital banking.

Environmental, social and governance considerations are rising in importance in banking. Amelia Pan, managing director in the ESG advisory group at PJT Partners, joins us with thoughts on how bankers should think about ESG as it gains in stature.

Identity fraud, account takeover, phishing attempts — financial institutions have seen all of these crimes increase in 2021. Andy Shank, vice president of fraud and risk product management at Vericast, joins us to discuss how banks and credit unions can better protect customers from these growing threats.

Like other industries, banks can often benefit in the present by learning lessons from the past. Financial commentator Zachary Karabell joins us to discuss "Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power," his new book on one of the nation's oldest financial firms, and why its story matters for banks today and in the future.

The personalization trend being driven by online retail, streaming media and other industries is also a front-of-mind issue for banks and credit unions. Greg Kanevski, global head of banking at ServiceNow, discusses a personalization strategy that has an optimal mix of people and technology.

Where’s the leading edge of design and technology in banking, and how is it changing the industry? Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of the branding and design firm SLD, tells us what North American banks can learn from overseas financial institutions about the latest tech and how they can put those insights to work.