Recorded in partnership with FutureBrand, Russell Goldsmith looks back at the 2020 FutureBrand Index, where the agency examined the world's leading firms and determined how they fared over the previous year. Joining him online to talk through the findings of that report, we welcomed back to the podcast Jon Tipple, FutureBrand's Global Chief Strategy Officer, plus we were joined on the call by Stephen Douglas, Senior Director- International Design at McDonald's. During the show we also hear from Paul Bolt, Microsoft UK's CMO who Russell caught up with at the end of 2020, to get his take on some of the highlights of the Index.

in partnership with FutureBrand

Show 127 - FutureBrand Index

In the 14th in our series of interviews that we're recording in partnership with the European PR Agency Tyto, and their own Without Borders podcast, Russell Goldsmith and Brendon Craigie were joined online from Colorado Springs, US by Mario Ciabarra, Founder and CEO of Quantum Metric. Quantum Metric raised $200 million in Series B financing in January 2021 with a valuation exceeding $1 billion.

in partnership with Tyto

Show 128 - Unicorn Interviews - Mario Ciabarra - Quantum Metric

The 29th in our series of episodes that we're producing in partnership with the European PR Agency, Tyto and their own Without Borders podcast. Russell Goldsmith and Holly Justice were joined online from Amsterdam by Shane Happach, CEO of Mollie, one of Europe's fastest growing payment service providers. Founded in 2004, the company reached unicorn status in September 2020 and is now valued at $6.5 billion.

in partnership with Tyto PR

Show 160 - Unicorn Leaders - Shane Happach, Mollie

The second of three episodes recorded in partnership with Freemarket at FinTech Connect, that took place at the Excel in London from 30th November – 1st December. We recorded a series of interviews from the Freemarket booth with a number of the speakers and attendees at the event. Our guests for this second episode were:

1/ Susanne Chishti, CEO, FinTech Circle
2/ Matt Jackson, VP, Relationship Management, Freemarket
3/ Matt Bonetti, Head of DCX, Hargreaves Lansdown
4/ Robin Scher, Head of Strategic Fintech Investing, Lloyds Banking Group
5/ Hirander Misra, Chairman & CEO, GMEX Group
6/ Janusz Diemko, Co-Founder, Xelo Pay
7/ Susana Ponce-Froment, Head of Financial and Credit Risk, Tide

Freemarket

Show 169 - FinTech Connect 2022 – Part 2

In this episode, we focus on the growing use of AI in internal communications. Host Debbie West is joined by guests:
1/ Shalini Gupta, Senior Internal Communications Lead, UKIMEA, Arup
2/ Frank Dias, Internal Comms Manager, Framestore
3/ Melanie Wheeler, Head of Global Internal Communications, Sutherland

Show 196 - Exploring AI in Internal Communications

Produced in partnership with Tourettes Action, the leading support and research charity for people with Tourette's syndrome, and their families. 

Graham Barrett hosts this episode that focuses on how employers can support people with Tourette's and create a truly inclusive and neurodiverse environment. 

Our guests were:
- Ione Georgakis, Therapies and Advocacy Manager, Tourettes Action
- Trish McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, Aberystwyth University Students’ Union
- Luke Manton, Founder, Manton Executives

Show 197 - Neurodiversity in the Workplace

The second of our two episodes recorded at Money20/20 Asia 2025, that we produced in partnership with audax, a comprehensive plug and play banking solution powering banks to launch scalable and compliant digital business models at speed. 

Graham Barrett was joined by a number of the speakers on audax's booth.  Our guests for this episode were: 

1/ Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Money20/20
2/ Billie Setiawan​, Head of Data Management & Analytics Div, PT. Bank Negara Indonesia TBK
3/ John Medina, Chief Operating Officer, Philippine Bank of Communications
4/ Vandy Leng, VP & Head of Digital Banking, Hattha Bank
5/ Zokhir Rasulov, CDO, ABA Bank
6/ Adisorn Hatairatana, Head of Consumer Credit Risk Model, Krungsri Bank

Show 244 - Money20/20 Asia - Part 2 of 2

The second in our series of the c-suite podcast that we're producing in partnership with payabl. and their ‘Pay It Forward’ podcast, where we aim to shine the spotlight on the ever-changing world of payments with insights from merchants and leading industry experts.

In this episode we focus on Alternative Payment Methods (APMs), which cover everything beyond traditional credit and debit cards, whether that's digital wallets, BNPL, crypto, open banking payments and much more.

Joining Graham Barrett online to discuss the current APM landscape and what further developments might be on the horizon were Matteo Gamba, Head of Product, Global Payments and Fraud at Wayfair, Sophia Furber, FinTech Research Analyst, EMEA at S&P Global, and Alexander Burkhard, Third Party Acquirers Relationship and Implementation Management Lead, European Payments Initiative (EPI).

Show 245 - Pay It Forward - Wero and the Future of APMs

The fifth in our series of the c-suite podcast that we're producing in partnership with payabl. and their ‘Pay It Forward’ podcast, where we aim to shine the spotlight on the ever-changing world of payments with insights from merchants and leading industry experts.

In this episode, Graham Barret is joined by Julie Fergerson, Co-founder and CEO of the Merchant Risk Council, Felix Efren, Senior Fraud Analyst at Bolt, and Ismael Ghozael, Vice President of Products and Platforms at Decathlon.

Their discussion focused on fraud, looking at the emerging threats and the way that businesses can lead the fight back and protect themselves and their customers.

Show 257 - Pay It Forward - The Global Fraud Fight: AI, Risk, and Resilience

Recorded live at Sibos in Frankfurt, in partnership with Kyndryl, this episode of the c-suite podcast explores how AI, cybersecurity, and payments innovation are reshaping the industry.

Host Graham Barrett speaks with some of the most influential voices in global finance including:

1/ Khaliq Khan, Vice President and Global Lead, Kyndryl Vital, Kyndryl
2/ Paul Gillen, Group Chief Security Advisor, Barclays
3/ Imke Jacob, General Executive Manager, DZ Bank AG
4/ Roger Burkhardt, Head of AI, Chief Technology Officer, Broadridge
5/ Isabel Pitt, Deputy Payments Director, Nationwide Building Society
6/ Louisa Dall, Head of Payment & Treasury Systems, Virgin Money
 

Together they unpack responsible AI frameworks, evolving cyber threats, AI’s role in payments transformation, the rise of agentic AI, and building safer, smarter, and more connected payment ecosystems.

Show 263 - AI, Cybersecurity and the Future of Finance: Insights from Sibos 2025 - Part 3

Recorded live at Sibos in Frankfurt, in partnership with Kyndryl, this episode of the c-suite podcast explores how payments modernisation, AI, and collaboration are redefining global finance

Host Graham Barrett was joined by:

1/ Philip Bruno, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, ACI Worldwide
2/ Lisa Vasic, Managing Director, ANZ Banking Group
3/ Fabian Khoshbakht, APAC Head of Treasury Services, BNY
4/ Camille Papillard, Head of Financial Intermediaries & Corporates Client Line, BNP PARIBAS

From the race between stablecoins, tokenised deposits and real-time payments to the rise of data-driven treasury, automation in securities settlement, and AI as an enabler of efficiency and trust, the conversation captures how financial institutions are reimagining payments for the next decade of growth.

Show 265 - Payments Disrupted: Innovation, AI & the New Global Landscape - Sibos '25 Pt 5

Recorded live at Sibos in Frankfurt, in partnership with LSEG Risk Intelligence, this episode of the c-suite podcast explores how innovation, regulation, and AI are reshaping payments and compliance.

Host Graham Barrett was joined by:

1/ Michael Meadon, Director, Asia Pacific, LSEG Risk Intelligence 
2/ Florence Vicentini, Chief Commercial Officer, Neterium
3/ Stephen Richardson, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Banking, Fireblocks
4/ Pablo Villegas Garcia, EMEA Payments Head, AWS 
5/ Deepak Arora, SVP and Head of Banking – Continental Europe, HCLTech
5/ Marc Andrews, Global Managing Director, Pegasystems inc.


From the explosion of global sanctions and the rise of stablecoins, to the use of cloud and AI in fighting financial crime, and the shift toward agentic and autonomous banking systems, the discussion reveals how institutions are accelerating innovation while maintaining resilience, trust, and regulatory rigour.

Show 266 - Building Trust & Speed in a Changing Financial World - Sibos '25 Pt 6

The seventh in our series of the c-suite podcast that we're producing in partnership with payabl. and their ‘Pay It Forward’ podcast, where we aim to shine the spotlight on the ever-changing world of payments with insights from merchants and leading industry experts.

In this episode, Graham Barrett is joined by Charles Aji, Product Owner - Payments at TUI, Solmaz Zohdi, Product owner at IKEA, and Laura Treude, Director of Group Payment at Douglas.

The conversation focuses on the checkout experience, exploring how leading brands are reimagining that final step, whether that's online or in store, to make payments faster, smarter, and more invisible.

Show 267 - Pay It Forward - Rethinking the Checkout: How IKEA, TUI and Douglas are redefining the payment experience

Recorded live at Money20/20 USA in partnership with Newline by Fifth Third, Russell Goldsmith and Graham Barrett explore the transformative forces driving the payments landscape. 

Fifth Third’s SVP, General Manager, Tom Bianco discusses the Comerica acquisition, balancing innovation with stability, and the power of strategic fintech partnerships. Brian Dammeir, Head of Payments and Financial Management at Plaid dives into the growth of open banking and the role of trust and data in pay-by-bank adoption, while Ran Goldi, SVP Payments & Network at Fireblocks explains how digital assets, stablecoins and tokenisation are redefining banking infrastructure.

An inside look at how traditional institutions and fintechs are collaborating to build the next generation of financial services.

Show 268 - The Evolution of Payments: Convergence, Innovation & Trust - Money20/20 USA Pt 1

Our second episode from Money20/20 USA 2025 and the first of two recorded in partnership with Sumsub and their What the Fraud? podcast.  We hand over hosting duties to Anastasia Shvechkova, Sumsub's, Sales Director for the Americas who chats to leading industry voices including:

1/ Samant Nagpal, Head of Payments & Risk, Gusto
2/ Mira Srinivasan, Chief Risk Officer, Bluevine
3/ Luke Tuttle, Chief Product & Technology Officer, MoneyGram
4/ Billi Jo Wright, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, Worldpay for Platforms

Together they discuss how AI is reshaping fraud, why trust is becoming the new competitive currency, and what risk and compliance leaders must do to stay ahead. 

From deepfakes and synthetic documents to agentic AI, cross-border payments innovation and the evolving role of risk teams, this episode explores the technologies and strategies defining the future of financial security.

Show 269 - Fighting Fraud, Building Safety and Navigating AI - Money20/20 USA Pt 2

Our third episode from Money20/20 USA and the second of two recorded in partnership with Sumsub and their What the Fraud? podcast.  We hand over hosting duties to Anastasia Shvechkova, Sumsub's, Sales Director for the Americas who chats to leading industry voices including:

1/ Jennifer Lassiter, Head of Digital Assets for Europe and Americas, Standard Chartered
2/ André Peixoto, Director of Operations, Ebanx
3/ Craig Timm, Sr. Director of AML, ACAMS
4/ Brigette Korney, Global Head of Risk, Adyen
5/ Nathan Marion, Head of B2B, Nubank

We dive into the modernization of dollar infrastructure, fraud in emerging markets, the reshaping of AML expectations, unified data strategies, Web3 compliance, BNPL risk and the accelerating influence of AI across global payments. 

A wide-ranging look at the shifts redefining trust, innovation and financial crime prevention.


Show 270 - What’s Next for Payments, Compliance and AML? - Money20/20 USA Pt 3

Our fourth and final episode from Money20/20 USA, the second of two recorded in partnership with Newline by Fifth Third.
 
In this final from the conference, Russell Goldsmith and Graham Barrett chat with:
 
1/ Kash Razzaghi, Chief Commercial Officer, Circle
2/ Aleksandra Teichman, SVP, Embedded Finance and Banking Strategy, MAPP Advisors
3/ Nick Stanescu, EVP & Chief FedNow Executive, Federal Reserve Financial Services
 
Our guests explore the seismic shifts shaping the payments ecosystem.
 
From blockchain’s role as the new backbone of finance, to the rise of embedded banking and the rollout of FedNow’s real-time infrastructure, we discuss how innovation, regulation, and instant settlement are redefining the movement of money across the globe.

Show 271 - The Infrastructure Powering the Next Era of Money Movement - Money20/20 USA Pt. 4

The first of a new series to the c-suite podcast, where we speak to the individuals behind some of the biggest events and conferences in the world, whether that's in retail, payments, technology or fintech. 

Graham Barrett is joined by Pat Patel, co-CEO of Global Finance and Technology Network Forums, organisers of the Singapore Fintech Festival, to chat about the highlights from 2025's event and the challenges of putting on such a large show, the mood of the fintech industry today, and plans for 2026's festival.

Show 272 - Beyond the stage: The Outcomes Driving the Singapore FinTech Festival

A special episode in partnership with The World Bank, an organisation that aims to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development with knowledge, financing, and expertise.
 
In this episode, Host Debbie West is joined by  Sir Michael Barber and Lisandro Martin, where they discuss big topics to explore how we can drive intelligent outcomes in an age of AI.

Show 273 - How to Drive Intelligent Outcomes in an Age of AI

The first of three episodes recorded live at the 10th anniversary of Fintech Connect in London.

Graham Barrett was joined by:

1/ Hana Rolles, Chief Commercial Officer, Bank of London
2/ Dane Whittleston, Head of Division, Bank of England
3/ Jonny Morris, International Trade Executive – Fintech & Cyber, London & Partners
4/ Monika Rohr-Lukasik, Head of Advisory & International Growth, Axendi
5/ Prof.Dr. Ahmed Ebada, Professor of informatics and AI, Senior Product Manager, BMW Group


Our guests reflect on the major shifts that have shaped fintech over the past decade — and what’s coming next. From the rise of stablecoins and virtual assets, to embedded banking, RegTech innovation, AI-powered customer experiences and real-time fraud prevention, our guests share expert insights on the technologies, regulations and global forces shaping the future of financial services.


Show 274 - 10 years of FinTech Connect: What's Changed and What Comes Next - Part 1 of 3

The second of three episodes recorded live at the 10th anniversary of Fintech Connect in London.

Graham Barrett was joined by:

1/ Lisa Cameron, Former MP And Chair of UKUS Crypto Alliance	
2/ Brandon Wong, Associate, Burges Salmon
3/ Adam Betteridge, Fintech and Open Banking Lead, TSB Bank
4/ Igor Tomych, CEO, DashDevs
5/ Calypso Harland, CEO and Founder, Fintech Fringe


Together, our guests explore the major forces reshaping financial services: global crypto regulatory alignment, the rise of stablecoin use cases, a shifting UK regulatory landscape, open banking’s evolution into open data, bank–fintech collaboration, and the acceleration of customer-centric innovation. A comprehensive look at where fintech stands today — and where the next decade will take it.

Show 275 - 10 years of FinTech Connect: From Open Banking to Crypto Innovation - Part 2 of 3

The last of our three episodes recorded live at the 10th anniversary of Fintech Connect in London.
 
Graham Barrett was joined by:
 
1/ Neal Lathia, Co-Founder and CTO, Gradient Labs
2/ Chloe Coleman, CEO, VouchSafe
3/ Luis Clark, Go to Market Manager, Monday.com
4/ Luke Wingfield Digby, Co-Founder, Orbital
5/ Jayadeep Nair, Founder, Inqyre.AI
 
The conversations cover the rise of compliant AI agents in financial services, the realities of building digital identity solutions, the transformation of internal workflows, the emergence of stablecoins and digital money, and the operational applications of AI in compliance and risk. A dynamic look at the technologies and regulatory shifts defining fintech’s future.
 
DISCLAMER: The views and information shared here in Luke Wingfield Digby's interview are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, or other professional advice. Authors do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the content. Products and services mentioned may not be available in all jurisdictions and are subject to applicable regulations. Listeners should conduct their own due diligence and consult with a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.  

Show 276 - 10 years of FinTech Connect: Agentic AI, stablecoins and digital ID - Part 3 of 3

The first in a new mini-series producing in partnership with World Bank Group. 

In this follow-up to our previous episode on driving intelligent outcomes, Lisandro Martin sits down with Professor Dennis Campbell of Harvard Business School for a deep and thought-provoking conversation. Together, they explore why focusing on outcomes—not just processes—can inspire organizations to think bigger, collaborate more effectively, and embrace entrepreneurial approaches.

The discussion uncovers how AI is revolutionising results measurement, redefining outputs and outcomes, and enabling faster, more adaptive decision-making. From the concept of “perpetual beta” to breaking down bureaucratic complexity into bite-sized solutions, this episode offers practical insights for leaders navigating a rapidly changing world.

Show 277 - Outcomes Reflex: Transforming Measurement and Culture for Better Outcomes with Professor Dennis Campbell

Recorded live from NRF Retail’s Big Show in New York and produced in partnership with Kyndryl, we bring together senior retail and technology leaders to explore how AI is reshaping the modern retail enterprise. Featuring insights from:

1/ Rachel Calhoun, Global VP - Retail, Consumer & Airlines, Kyndryl
2/ Jayson Tipp, Chief Development Officer, Playa Bowls
3/ Ashley Kechter, Global President, Vuori
4/ Matt Ezyk, Head of Ecommerce Technology, Hanna Andersson
5/ Julie Bornstein, Founder and CEO, Daydream 
6/ Naresh Krisnamurthy, Senior Manager, Business Transformation, KAO UK

The discussion spans agentic AI, legacy system transformation, omnichannel growth, AI-ready infrastructure, peak trading execution and the realities of scaling retail technology. 

This episode provides a practical, executive-level look at how retailers are moving beyond pilots to deliver real business outcomes with AI.


Show 278 - Inside NRF Pt. 1/3: How Retail Leaders Are Turning AI Ambition into Action

Recorded live from NRF Retail’s Big Show in New York and produced in partnership with Kyndryl, we bring together senior retail and technology leaders to explore what it really takes to operationalise AI in retail. Featuring insights from:

1/ Rachel Calhoun, Global VP - Retail, Consumer & Airlines, Kyndryl
2/ Glenn Allison, VP, Enterprise AI Platforms and AI Solution Engineering, Tractor Supply Company	
3/ Rachel Dalton, Head of Retailer Insights, Americas, Kantar	
4/ Matthew Jacoby, Executive Director, Enterprise Strategic Analytics and Data Science, RaceTrac	
5/ Amy Carr, CMO, Thirdlove
6/ Jason Johnson, Chief Information Officer, Sweetwater Sound	

The discussion covers scaling AI across operations, empowering frontline teams, redefining loyalty, and preparing for agentic commerce.

This episode provides a practical look at how retail leaders are turning AI hype into measurable business value — today and into 2026.

Show 279 - Inside NRF Pt. 2/3: Scaling AI and Resilience in Modern Retail

Recorded live from NRF Retail’s Big Show in New York and produced in partnership with Kyndryl, this final episode of our three specials from the conference brings together retail, technology and payments leaders to explore how the industry is being reshaped — from AI foundations to human connection.

Featuring insights from:

1/ Rachel Calhoun, Global VP - Retail, Consumer & Airlines, Kyndryl
2/ Mike Wier, VP, CVS Store Brands, CVS Health
3/ Nadine Graham, SVP, GM Ecommerce, Sephora
4/ John Khoury, CTO, Strandbags
5/ Shannon DeVito, Senior Director, Books, Barnes & Noble Inc. 
6/ Dan Coates, Director, Product Management, ACI Worldwide


The discussion covers how retailers can balance innovation and authenticity as they prepare for the next decade of intelligent commerce.

Show 280 - Inside NRF Pt. 3/3: Retail’s Next Decade: AI, Trust, Community and the New Rules of Commerce

Recorded live at ICE Barcelona in partnership with Sumsub and their 'What The Fraud? podcast', this is the first of two special episodes of the c-suite podcast where we examine the growing threat of unlicensed operators, AI-enabled fraud and the evolving role of regulation in protecting players and market integrity.
 
Kris Galloway, iGaming Product Evangelist at Sumsub, took over hosting duties and he was joined by:
 
1/ Olabimpe Akingba, Head of Responsible Gaming, pawaTech
2/ Ludovico Calvi, Honorary President, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports
3/ Sarah Gardner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, UK Gambling Commission
 
The conversation explores responsible gaming beyond box-ticking, the rise of industrialised fraud networks, underage exposure risks, and why collaboration between regulators, operators, technology providers and law enforcement is now critical.
 
A deep dive into how data, education and cross-border cooperation will define the future of safe, sustainable gaming markets.

Show 281: ICE Barcelona Part 1 of 2: AI, Illicit Operators and the Industrialisation of Fraud

Recorded live at ICE Barcelona in partnership with Sumsub and their 'What The Fraud? podcast', this is the second of two special episodes of the c-suite podcast where we examine the widening fraud landscape in global iGaming.
 
Kris Galloway, iGaming Product Evangelist at Sumsub, took over hosting duties and he was joined by:
 
1/ Daniel Xavier, COO, BetMGM Brazil
2/ Andrew Wright, Managing Director UK & Ireland, LeoVegas Group
3/ Adrianna Samuels, Vice President - Senior Client Partner | Gaming, Globant
4/ Torben Friis, Manging Director - Global Head of Distribution, Match Liquidity
 
 
Topics covered include the growing tension between player acquisition and fraud prevention, the challenge of unlicensed operators, Brazil’s evolving regulatory framework, and how fraud risk now influences investment decisions. From bonus abuse and multi-accounting to AI-driven threats and financial due diligence, this episode maps the shifting risk environment facing operators worldwide.

Show 282: ICE Barcelona Part 2 of 2: Fraud, Regulation and Market Expansion in Global iGaming

The second in our 'Beyond the Stage' series, where we speak to the individuals behind some of the biggest events and conferences in the world, whether that's in retail, payments, technology or fintech.
 
Graham Barrett is joined by Filip Rasovsky, Head of Event Production at MPE, Merchant Payments Ecosystem, taking place in Berlin from March 17-19.
 
MPE is one of the leading events of its kind when it comes to payment acceptance and is now the home of the global merchants payment community. The show attracts over 500 global merchants and brands from every major vertical.
 
As a media partner to MPE, we have secured a 10% discount code for our followers.  When registering for the event, be sure to use the code: c-suite10 to secure your 10% discount, which is valid until March 17 2026

Show 283: Beyond The Stage: Inside MPE - Building Europe's Merchant Payments Ecosystem

The third in our 'Beyond the Stage' series, where we speak to the individuals behind some of the biggest events and conferences in the world, whether that's in retail, payments, technology or fintech.

Graham Barrett is joined by Emma Banymandhub, Chief Operating Officer at the Payments Association, the team behind Pay360, taking place at London’s ExCeL, 25th - 26th March.
 
Pay360 is the UK’s largest event dedicated entirely to payments, attracting more than 6,000 professionals from regulators and banks to fintechs, card schemes and merchants.
 
Emma takes us behind the scenes of organising such a major industry event, sharing insights into its rapid growth, this year’s programme, and how her team creates an experience that keeps the payments community coming back year after year.

Show 284: Beyond The Stage: Bringing the Payments Industry Together at Pay360

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Featuring senior executives discussing latest trends, campaigns and issues, sharing best practice case studies.  

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