In the Hot Seat

Customer loyalty is much more than points and perks. Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling Bank, jumps in the Hot Seat to discuss how data-driven intelligence is redefining what it means to build trust in financial services. We explore where traditional banks go wrong, how customer understanding can reshape engagement, and why digital design and personalisation now determine retention. Thi...

When payments disappear, the real competition begins, for trust, attention, and loyalty. In this episode of  In the Hot Seat , Denise Johansson is joined by Emelie Eriksson, Head of SEB Embedded, for a rapid-fire deep dive into the future of embedded finance. From the weight of legacy systems to the risks and rewards of giving up control, they explore why embedded finance is more than a product sh...

Inclusion isn't just a moral imperative; it's a huge economic opportunity.   Alessandro Hatami from Pacemakers.io joins the hot seat to discuss how a large portion of the population remains outside the financial system despite advances in technology. Alessandro highlights how providers can gain new customers and fuel growth by removing outdated barriers and more actively serving the underbanked.  ...

Is your fleet prepared for the next decade of the EV transition? Rachel Beaton from Octopus Electroverse joins the discussion to share insights on the full picture of what's ahead — from educating drivers and navigating chargers and lease cycles, to understanding government incentives, manufacturing shifts, and the opportunities in the second-hand market. With technology evolving quickly and fleet...

The future of mobility is shared, fast, fluid, and frictionless! Joëlle Stokkel of Shuttel jumps into  The Hot Seat for a conversation about optional ownership, commuting as a custom-fit experience, the rise of flexible mobility benefits, how tech, sustainability, and data are reshaping policy, and why mobility might just be your next big recruitment tool.   Key Takeaways. [:00] Denise Johansson p...

There are no silver bullets, but there is a pattern to success. This episode of In The Hot Seat welcomes back fintech strategist and author Leda Glyptis to unpack what it truly takes to build, lead, and last in an industry where 95% of startups fail. From redefining success as "the art of not dying" to the difficult introspection founders have to do when they hit a wall, Leda and Denise offer up a...

From podiums to businesses. Elite sports and high-performing businesses operate under the same unforgiving principles: driving performance requires inspired leadership, clear goals, strict planning, good team dynamics and a healthy serving of resilience. The question isn't if you need all this but whether or not you have what it takes to implement it. The hot seat welcomes paralympic powerhouse Bi...

Waiting for regulation is boring, you don't need permission to shake up the world! Marja Innanen, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Finland, Monika Liikama, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of  Enfuce, and Juspal Manic, CRO at Featurespace, sit in the hot seat for a provocative discussion on UN Sustainable Development Goal 16's overlooked challenges of peace, justice, and strong institutions. L...

Wild West or world of opportunity for fintechs? Charles Kerrigan, Partner at CMS London, and Matt Williamson, SVP at Endava jump into the hot seat. Listen in for insights on what the most recent AI revolutions might mean for fintechs, the types of regulations being put forward, the impacts of horizontal versus vertical regulation, why GenAI is an expert tool for experts, and what early-adopting or...

Ready for a steamy tech love story?. Thorbjørn Fink, COO of Pleo joins Denise for a spicy chat in the hot seat. Learn from Pleo and Enfuce's love story about building winning partnerships, maintaining great communication, making compromises and navigating the occasional rough patch. Denise and Thorbjørn discuss learning the right love languages, building trust, and dealing with a partner if the sh...

Are you ready for money in the Metaverse? David Birch, payment industry legend and Author of Money in The Metaverse joins the hot seat to discuss what fintechs need to know about the future of payments in the Metaverse, what exactly the Metaverse is and why it isn't just a virtual space and how it might help level the playing field when it comes to being more inclusive, and tackling fraud!   Key T...

Financial fraud is a full-blown epidemic. Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and Author of Rinsed jumps in the hot seat to explain the current landscape, what the future might look like, and how getting back to the basics of employee engagement might be the best defense companies have against fraudsters.   Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and Auth...

Can banks do what needs to be done to stay alive? How can the legacy players stave off the next ice age? Leda Glyptis, recovering banker and author, and Monika Liikamaa Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Enfuce burn up the hot seat with a no-holds-barred discussion on how parasitic relationships, hedging bets, and corporate FOMO killed off countless fintechs with great potential! And, just wait till they di...

Disrupt the status quo and give power to the people! Felipe Hillard from the Bank of London, jumps in the hot seat to tackle the notion of control (and why sharing is a good thing), how inclusivity helps align payment solutions with customer needs, why choosing value over profit puts you squarely in the eye of the finance revolution, and why honing your purpose and focus in the fintech space can s...

What does an AI future mean for fintech? Matthew Gardiner, from A1 AI, jumps in the hot seat for a burning discussion on what fintechs need to do today to be part of an AI future, how fraudsters provide a great learning opportunity, and why you need to start using AI in your organization today.   Key Takeaways [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Matthew Gardiner , founder of A1 AI, in the hot seat. [3:15]...

Strong safety nets and early-age encouragement build fearless innovators. Love Dager and Lana Brandorne of Stockholm Fintech jump in the hot seat to talk about where Nordic innovation is today and where it is going. Fintech isn't dead! Long live fintech!   Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Love Dager, CEO and co-founder of Stockholm Fintech, and Lana Brandorne co-founder of Stockholm Fint...

Having it all does mean choosing. Join Sarah Greasly and Denise Johansson as they dive into the myth, break the cycle of mom-shaming, and invite more women into tech. Keep an ear out for tips on how to build the female leaders your organisation needs and what you should never say at work.   Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Sarah Greasley, former Director, Solution Architecture and EMEA,...

What is up with the glass ceiling? Charlotte Hogg of Visa joins Denise Johansson to chip away at the obstacles holding future diverse leaders back. They discuss the responsibilities of current leaders, the fundamental difference between targets and quotas, and why pushing for diversity sets you up for success in an increasingly diverse world.   Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Charlotte...

Building strong partnerships takes a lot of work, Joe Samuel from VISA talks about being fearless, looking for open doors, and keeping a learning mindset. Listen in for tips on avoiding misfit partnerships, what it takes to league with giants, and how your management team dynamics can influence partner decisions.   Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Joe Samuel, Vice President, Head of Iss...

90% of startups fail, but in the 10% that don't, the XXX factor is there. Ricardo Ribelles of Mambu and Wesley van Daijken of Shuttel talk courage, innovation and collaboration. They share their thoughts on what exactly makes or breaks great ideas (people and process!), which quality is paramount to ensure long term success and what bold leadership actually looks like in growing companies.   Key T...

Fintechs are a force for good in the world. Christian Rau of Mastercard discusses purpose-driven innovation, how Mastercard identifies trustworthy fintech players, what traditional banks are ignoring at their own risk, and what trends to look for new innovations in.   Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Christian Rau, Senior Vice President of Crypto and Fintech Enablement Europe at Masterc...

Compliance IS sexy when it's done right! Erik Howell of Flagship Advisory Partners and Donald Riddick of Featurespace discuss rebuilding trust after fintech f#ck ups, what the foundation of compliance done right looks like, how your KYC/KYB can make or break you, and the best way to treat a compliance department to stay lean and nimble.   Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Donald Riddick,...

Female founders get less than 2% of all VC funding. Svitlanka Sergiichuk Romaniuk of NeoFin and Alexia de Broglie of Your Juno each discuss with Denise why the numbers are so low, things women can do to bring them up (hint: it looks like therapy and sisterhood!) and how investing in building strong founder relationships will build stronger companies with better culture and communication.   Key Tak...

From paying for music to morning coffees, embedded transactions power daily life. With Christoffer Malmer we examine where embedded finance can have the biggest strategic impact, how fintechs can build stronger compliance with speed, why banks need to pick up the pace if they want to compete, and how banks and fintech could work with each other.   Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Christ...

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