THE BANKERS' BOOKSHELF

In this episode, Paolo Sironi speaks with Jean-Philippe Desbiolles author of the updated book  AI Will Be What You Make of It  (originally published in 2019). Desbiolles argues that AI’s impact on banking and society will ultimately be determined by human choices, not technology. He introduces the concept of a “co-era,” in which AI functions as a collaborative co-worker rather than a simple tool,...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi speaks with Selim Yazıci and Michael Salmony, authors of “Tokenization of Money; from fiat currencies to stable coins”. They deliver a comprehensive, multi-perspective analysis of tokenised money by assembling leading insights from central banks, commercial banks, fintechs, academics, regulators, platform builders and service providers across all major geographies in...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi speaks with Dr. Balakrishnan Mahadevan (Balu), author of  Designing Change: My Journey Through India’s Digital Payments Transformation . India’s digital payments have grown from under one billion transactions annually around 2010 to over 225 billion by March 2025—a more than 200-fold increase. Through his unique lens as a former banking technology leader, COO of...

In this episode, author Dimitrios Salampasis joins host Paolo Sironi to introduce the Research Handbook on FinTech, a global scholarly effort to understand finance’s radical transformation. Two decades ago, finance meant traditional banks and centralised institutions. Today, digital payments, AI, blockchain, and central bank digital currencies are rewriting the rules. Dimitrios explains why this h...

In this episode, author Daniel Trabucchi joins host Paolo Sironi to explore strategies for legacy companies to embrace platform business models amid dominance by tech-native giants. Drawing from his book  The Digital Phoenix Effect , he outlines a pragmatic approach for traditional firms to foster innovation through platform thinking, preserving core strengths like customers, suppliers, data,...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi dives into “Beyond Resilience: Patterns of Success in Fintech and Digital Transformation” with author Leda Glyptis. At the heart of the conversation are probing questions: Is success in fintech truly pattern-based? Can the journey of building new banks or digital services, whether from scratch or within established organizations, be predictable enough to replicate? An...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews Aiden McCullen to explore his book UNDISRIPTABLE, a book that brings order to the chaos we are experiencing in personal and corporate lofe to the acceleration of the innovation life cycle. While we cannot see into the future, there are repeatable patterns we can understand learning from homo sapiens to CEOs, from hunters to the jelly fish as a way to master...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews April Rudin and Nick Rice to explore their new book Wealth Management with a Difference, an essential guide for advisors and firms navigating an era of unprecedented wealth transfer, where millennials, Gen Z, and women are poised to inherit trillions while technology revolutionizes financial services. From understanding demographic trends, like serving tech...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews Ritavan to explore his book Data Impact: How legacy businesses Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimize, and Grow to WIN. The SLASOG framework is a methodology designed to empower non-digital native businesses in harnessing their unique strengths for scalable, data-driven growth. Drawing from first-principles and empirically validated strategies, they disc...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews Sangeet Paul Choudary, author of Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy . They discuss how AI is set to transform the global economy and company operations by redistributing power among key players. Sangeet’s research delves into four central tensions: workers versus their software tools, tool providers versus the companies that purchase...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi interviews Kevin Govender, author of “The Rise of the Sharing Economy”. Together, they discuss the sharing economy—a concept that Time magazine named one of the “Ten ideas that will change the world” in 2011, and which has since grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Kevin breaks down the evolution of sharing platforms, key consumer trends, and a...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi sits down with Rik Coeckelbergs, author of “A New Ethos in Banking”. They discuss how change is impacting banking and the industry’s reputation, exploring what a new ethos in banking should look like, and, more importantly, the needed contributions from the industry to the road ahead. Rik’s book guides decision-makers in a new direction, a positive alternative to the...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi sits down with Patrick McConnell, author of “Digital Money: Operational Risks and the Threats to Operational Resilience”. They discuss the far-reaching impacts of emerging types of digital money upon financial institutions’ operational risk and resilience profiles. Many new operational risks could potentially arise as digital money innovations are integrated with exis...

In this episode, Paolo Sironi sits down with Cindy Anderson and Anthony Marshsall, the authors of the “ The ROI of Thoughts Leadership” to discuss how business research can help financial institutions to navigate the thought leadership world and make the best informed business decisions. And it’s a good read for all companies willing to invest in thought leadership but looking for the most co...

There is no lack of hype around artificial intelligence. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what this powerful technology can do. While tech and financial services become more intertwined, cutting through the noise has become more difficult but also more crucial. In this episode, Paolo Sironi sits down with Theodora Lau, the author of the “ Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence” to d...

Generative AI is revolutionizing the workplace, but how can managers harness its full potential beyond just automation? In this episode, Paolo Sironi sits down with Elisa Farri and Gabriele Rosani, the authors of the “ Harvard Business Review Guide to Generative AI for Managers” . They explore how leaders can use AI as a strategic partner in problem-solving, innovation, and decision-making. They d...

Paolo Sironi meets Jason Mikula, author of “Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks of New Banking Business Models”. BaaS is a game changer in the financial services sector, radically transforming both how consumers experience financial products and the business models delivering them. In this conversation, Jason cuts through the hype to provide a measured overview of B...

Paolo Sironi meets Ronit Ghose, who runs the Future of Finance team in Citi’s thought leadership unit “Citi Global Insights”, and is the author of “Future Money: Fintech, AI and Web 3”. The world of money is rapidly changing, but what does it all really mean? Paolo discusses some book insights with Ronit, who brings technical topics to vivid life via narrative deep dives into selected founders and...

Paolo Sironi meets Nicola Bilotta, coordinator of the EU-Supervisory Digital Finance Academy and author of “The Geoeconomics of Money in the Digital Age”. In a more contentious world economy, where trade and finance are increasingly interlinked with economic security and geopolitical considerations, questions arise about the underpinnings of the US dollar’s global leadership. For decad...

Host Paolo Sironi welcomes listeners to another special segment of  The Bankers’ Bookshelf , which highlights significant publications for bankers and fintech professionals. For this episode, Paolo introduces  Neha Mehta , author of the book  One Stop: Unlocking the Power of Super Apps . The book delves into the transformative role super apps are playing in reshaping economies...

In this episode of  The Banker’s Bookshelf , host Paolo Sironi and guest Khrystyna Kushnir discuss insights from the IBM report,  Banking for Small and Medium Enterprises: Serving the World Economy . The report highlights the evolving needs of SMEs, including access to finance, market entry, and business support, with a notable focus on technology integration. While bankers emphasi...

In this installment of The Bankers’ Bookshelf – guest and host roles mix in a discussion exploring the transformation of banking in the platform economy, focusing on embedded finance and conscious banking. Banks are shifting from traditional product-centric models to value-added services, leveraging data to offer personalized, outcome-driven solutions, especially for small and medium-s...

In this episode of  The Bankers’ Bookshelf , Paolo Sironi hosts Richard Turrin, author of “Cashless,” as part of the Bankers’ Bookshelf series. They discuss the shift towards a cashless society driven by Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and fintech innovations. Turrin explains how CBDCs could reduce reliance on credit cards, lower transaction fees, and streamline comm...

In the latest episode of “The Bankers’ Bookshelf,” host Paolo Sironi converses with Brett King, the originator of the Breaking Banks brand, about King’s upcoming book “Branch Today, Gone Tomorrow.” This book, a refreshed edition of his 2011 release, examines the dramatic reduction in physical bank branches over the past decade, driven by the rise of digital and...

In this episode of  The Bankers’ Bookshel,  host Paolo Sironi speaks with Dr. Jobst Landgrebe and Professor Barry Smith about their book,  “Why Machines Will Never Rule the World: Artificial Intelligence without Fear” . The guests argue that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot achieve true intelligence or consciousness due to fundamental mathematical and philosophi...