Open Banking Expo Unplugged
Open Banking Expo 125 episodes Oct 21, 2026
Open Banking Expo Unplugged is a series of easy listening podcasts brought to you by the team behind Open Banking Expo Magazine. Digital knows no boundaries, with each episode winging its way to you on all things Open Banking, Open Finance and broader digital transformation within financial services from across the globe. Unplugged will bring you one-on-one interviews and carefully curated industry panels with thought leaders and digital disruptors working hard to bring about change in the digital financial services market.
Episodes
The Engine Room - Closing the charity sector’s £82m Pay by Bank gap
"Cards remain the most prevalent payment option on charities’ websites — but high processing fees eat into every donation, forcing NGOs to either absorb the cost or pass it on, adding friction that can cause drop-off right when someone is ready to give. Direct Debit, the backbone of recurring giving, carries its own hidden operational burden that quietly reduces how much of every pound reache
The Engine Room - Visible, not legible: What Open Finance still can't tell a lender
Open Finance and Smart Data have made far more data visible. Has that actually changed decision-making, or just changed what's technically possible?Where should the line sit between what the data can show and what a person still has to decide?Is more data actually solving the trust problem, or just moving it somewhere else?What would it take for this to be judged on outcomes over time, rather than
The Engine Room - Will agentic finance work without truly understanding the customer?
Open banking made financial data accessible, but can agentic finance act well without truly understanding the customer? Join experts from SaaScada, Salt Edge, and Neumetria to explore how financial services can turn transaction data into meaningful behavioral context, use that context to inform real-time decisions across payments, credit, risk, and products, and ensure AI agents act in line with c
The Engine Room - Building confidence, control and connection in digital payments (and data!)
This conversation will cover a new report I am publishing called Building Confidence, Control and Connection in Digital Payments (1st October). We'll be pulling on the themes of how technology can be used to create inclusive products and services (this includes using smart data and open banking); the challenges fintechs and others face in getting more inclusive products to market; and the importan
The Engine Room - Inside the UK Government's Smart Data Council: Scoops, spills & straight answers
Officially, the Smart Data Council is all about "delivery models and best practice." Unofficially, it's a lot more interesting than that. Council member Dr Louise Beaumont, alongside Agnieszka Scott, Head of Smart Data at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Technology, and fellow Council member Ghela Boskovich, takes you inside the room: what the Smart Data Council actually is a
The Engine Room - What really matters in Open Finance?
Salt Edge’s Chief Sales Officer Stephen Winyard and Chief Product Officer Ilya Dragan ask whether open banking has delivered on its promise and unpack why “open finance” still has no clear definition. They cover the limits of PSD2, what PSD3 and PSR need to fix, why consumer protection and dispute resolution for account-to-account payments remain unresolved, and the potential of Variable Recurring
The Engine Room - Identity is no longer a check. It’s infrastructure.
Digital identity used to be treated as a single step in the customer journey: verify someone, tick the box, move on. But as financial services become more connected through Open Banking, Open Finance and digital-first customer journeys, identity is becoming part of the underlying infrastructure.In this conversation, we’ll explore why identity needs to be thought of as infrastructure rather than a
The Engine Room - Data sharing ecosystems adoption in national schemes and private sector
The success of any data-sharing ecosystem depends on trust. From Open Banking to broader digital ecosystems, robust governance frameworks and trusted participation models have become key enablers of secure data exchange and scalable innovation.In this discussion with Raidiam, we examine how trust frameworks have evolved, the impact they have had on ecosystem adoption, and the role of centralised c
The Engine Room - From Open Finance to intelligent finance: Why the next innovation wave is about outcomes, not products
A conversation with both data experts (from Deutsche Bank, Raidiam), and governance and customer experience experts about the future of customer journeys in financial services in an AI driven world.
The Engine Room - From access to understanding: Open Banking data in real lending decisions
Ten years in, open banking has transformed access: a lender can securely see a customer's accounts in seconds. What it hasn't solved is understanding them. Nick Tuttelberg (Atto) talks to Andrew Duncan, CEO of Soar, about what a lender really does with the data, why the SME account is the hardest to read and interpret, and to Nimeshh Patel, CEO of Wrisk Group, the parent company of Atto, a
How A2A payments are reshaping the checkout experience for merchants
Salt Edge’s chief product officer Ilia Dragan and product owner Vasile Mogos join the Unplugged podcast to explain the key features of its Ecomm Payments product and the next steps for its rollout. They reveal how account-to-account payments are reshaping the checkout experience for merchants, the friction points they solve for ecommerce specifically, and the importance of payment choice for consu
The interplay between stablecoins, tokenisation and Open Banking
Keith Grose, regional managing director UK and Europe at Coinbase, joins Ellie Duncan on Open Banking Expo Unplugged to talk about his experience working in what he calls "financial plumbing" and global money movement, and how it led to his current role at Coinbase. Ketih explains how stablecoins are being used in the UK today and the potential of stablecoins to send and store value cros
Building a unified rail-agnostic money movement platform
Mat Tuvesson, vice president, product at Volt, joins Open Banking Expo Unplugged to reveal how he has been building out its product offering since joining last year, as the Open Banking market reaches maturity. He discusses the real-time payment network’s plans and ambitions in its key markets, as account-to-account payments begin to scale. He talks about Volt’s recent stablecoin launches and its
Financial inclusion in action: The future of payments and citizen support
Simon Coles, managing director, digital payments and Open Banking at PayPoint, Andrew Bonsall, chief operations officer at AperiData and Nicola Dunn, commercial director at AperiData join the podcast to discuss financial inclusion and payment journeys. They explain how the cost-of-living crisis has changed the way organisations, such as local authorities and utilities providers, engage with custom
A new era of payments in North America
Reuben Piryatinsky, chief executive officer of Altitude Consulting joins head of content Ellie Duncan on the podcast to discuss the intersection of Open Banking and real-time payments in North America. Reuben reveals what the timing of the Bank of Canada’s announcement about a regulated stablecoin framework in Canada means and the potential use cases. He also discussed the rise of agentic commerce
What it takes to scale Open Finance and AI in Europe
Joris Hensen, founder and co-head of Deutsche Bank’s API Programme, has spent 10 years working in Open Banking. He reflects on the progress made in Europe and the UK, and the bank partnerships that have evolved to create tangible outcomes. He also discusses the EU’s Financial Data Access Regulation (FiDA), which is an Open Finance framework, and why there are concerns that it could lead to fragmen
How is Open Banking playing out in the US and Canada?
Steve Boms, executive director of FDATA, joins Ellie Duncan to bring us up to speed on the state of play in the US, where Open Banking tools have been widely adopted yet, at the same time, regulatory uncertainty continues. He reveals the implications of the lack of a regulatory framework for consumers and small businesses, and how FDATA continues to advocate for Americans to own their financial da
Being recognised for advancing Open Banking in Canada
In this episode, hear from the winner of the inaugural Andrew Moor Award, Neela Maharaj, director, Open Banking and APIs at RBC. The Award was created to honour the former president and chief executive officer of EQ Bank, who passed away suddenly last year and who was widely regarded as one of the strongest advocates for Open Banking in Canada. Neela reveals what it means to be recognised, and why
Turning Canada’s Open Banking mandate into momentum
In this episode, Saba Shariff, senior vice president, chief strategy, product and innovation officer at Symcor, elaborates on some of the key points she made during her Opening Keynote at Open Banking Expo Canada on March 5, 2026. She explains what momentum looks like in practice and the Consumer-Driven Banking experiences that will change consumer behaviours positively. She also discusses the nee
Working together to accelerate Smart Data in the UK
Following the recent publication in the UK of the Smart Data Strategy 2035 and the Open Finance Roadmap, Charlotte Crosswell, executive chair of Raidiam, and Colin Payne, head of innovation at the Financial Conduct Authority, join the podcast to discuss Smart Data Sprints and global learnings. They tell host Ellie Duncan how Raidiam and the FCA have been working together on the Smart Data Accelera
How to build your personal brand and stand out
In this Women in Open Banking edition, head of content Ellie Duncan is joined by Mariela McComb, senior manager, wire payments product at Scotiabank, to dive into a topic that’s essential for career growth: How to build your personal brand at work, get noticed, and stand out in a performance-driven culture by leveraging internal and external connections. Whether you’re early in your career or a se
PayPoint OpenPay and CoP: Solutions solving real-life problems
Hear as Jo Toolan, managing director, payments and banking, and Chris Gardner, client sector lead, payments and banking at PayPoint discuss its OpenPay solution, which is changing the way organisations handle payouts and refunds. They also explain the role of Confirmation of Payee (CoP) in fraud prevention, and the biggest barriers organisations face in migrating to these solutions. Jo talks about
The Super-Score: How Open Banking is redefining financial identity
In this episode, Garri Galanter, chief executive officer of Salt Edge, Alina Beleuta, chief growth officer at Salt Edge, and Caroline Cope, head of business development, banking and finance at CRIF explore how Open Banking data and AI are reshaping traditional credit scoring. Through a real case study between Salt Edge and CRIF, they highlight how credit assessment is moving toward real-time adapt
How to monetise Open Banking and Open Finance
In this episode, head of content Ellie Duncan is joined by Huw Davies, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Ozone API to discuss the ongoing industry conversation around the monetisation of Open Banking and Open Finance. He explains what balance he thinks needs to be struck and the kinds of conversations Ozone API is having with clients and partners on this subject. What does this mean for
The power of community to inspire change
For this Women in Open Banking edition of the Open Banking Expo Unplugged podcast, Ellie Duncan is joined by Yaspa’s chief marketing officer Kate Marsden, head of compliance and deputy MLRO Sarah Ahle, and Renuka Rawlins, head of policy and public affairs. They discuss their involvement as a partner of the initiative and what the power of community means to them as an organisation and individuals.
The AI imperative: What FIs must know about AI and Open Banking
Ellie Duncan, head of content at Open Banking Expo, welcomes onto the podcast Nadia de Villa, senior vice president, business development and innovation solutions at GFT Canada, and Alastair Angus, chief information officer at Prospect 33. Nadia and Alastair discuss the latest GFT Banking Disruption Index and what it revealed about how financial institutions (FIs) are using AI to improve fraud det
How can Canada’s small businesses benefit from Open Banking?
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Mike Cascone, vice president, government experience, Americas at Xero and Eric Saumure, principal at Zenbooks ahead of their session at Open Banking Expo Canada 2025. In this episode, they discuss the specific needs of Canada’s small businesses and, in particular, the business banking challenges they face in the current environment. Mike and Eric discu
The business benefits of adopting Open Banking payments tech
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Hamish Wood, vice president, customer success at GoCardless and Dave Campbell, operations lead at Tembo, to discuss how UK businesses can benefit from being “early adopters” of new payment technology, such as Open Banking. Dave explains how Open Banking has enabled Tembo to help individuals get onto the property ladder, while Hamish reveals how GoCardl
Understanding the untapped potential of Open Finance
Salt Edge’s head of accounts executive Mihail Ceres and chief product officer Ilia Dragan join Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss the transition from an Open Banking to an Open Finance ecosystem. They consider regulation versus market-driven approaches, and what is behind the evolution of Open Finance use cases. They explain the practical applications of Open Finance that demonstrate its
SPAA: Unlocking commercial Open Banking within European payments
In this episode, Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by guests from across the ecosystem to delve into the SEPA Payment Account Access scheme. Ghela Boskovich, head of Europe at FDATA, Louise Beaumont, senior vice president, Open Banking & Open Finance, global industry & policy engagement at Mastercard, Robert Sullivan, Token.io’s public policy and strategy director, and Gijs Boudew
What’s next for Australia’s Consumer Data Right?
Jamie Leach, Open Data strategist at Raidiam, joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to bring listeners up to speed with Open Banking in Australia, where it’s better known as the Consumer Data Right (CDR). She talks about some of the setbacks faced by the CDR and what the Australian government’s recent “reset” means for progress. Jamie reveals the strategies and developments she believes are requi
Building out VibePay Insights
In this episode, Conor Tiernan, VibePay’s head of insights, joins Ellie Duncan to discuss joining the business to build out its new insights platform, VibePay Insights, which uses Open Banking data. Conor explains his own background in financial advice, payments and Open Banking, including most recently at Klarna, where he headed up its Open Banking initiatives. He explains how VibePay is helping
Introducing Raidiam Advise
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Jim Wadsworth and Lauren Jones, who recently joined Raidiam as head of advisory and strategic advisory partner, respectively. They reveal how, in their new roles, they will spearhead a new advisory service, Raidiam Advise, and how this will fit alongside its core business. Lauren reveals why she think Switzerland’s Open Finance approach is one of her f
Addressing the progress and pain points in European payments
Ivo Venetziev, co-founder and chief executive officer of Open Banking provider Contiant, joins Ellie Duncan on the podcast to discuss European payment initiatives, such as SEPA Instant and the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer scheme. He explains how this has helped Europe achieve payments harmonisation. Ivo also highlights some of the pain points that remain for European merchants and consumers alike,
Taking Open Finance to the next level in Europe
Paolo Zaccardi, co-founder and chief executive officer of European Open Banking platform Fabrick, tells Ellie Duncan how Fabrick is helping companies and large corporates to embed financial services in their customer journeys, as embedded finance takes off. He explains what a €40 million fundraise led by Mastercard and other investors means for Fabrick, and reveals the company’s European expansion
Supporting menopause in the workplace
In this special episode of Open Banking Expo Unplugged for the Women in Open Banking initiative, Ellie Duncan is joined by Pauline Nicol, payments partnerships manager, payments and Open Banking at Tesco Bank, and co-founder and director of the Saorsa Menopause Consultancy. The menopause has gone from being a taboo subject to a talked-about topic, both at home and in the workplace, but it is still
Top priorities for Canada’s Open Banking adoption
GFT’s Mauricio Deutsch, senior vice president, banking and capital markets Canada and Nadia de Villa, vice president, client innovation solutions join Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss the challenges in adopting Open Banking, including monetisation, customer trust and partnering. Mauricio and Nadia explain how GFT has worked with Brazil’s central bank, and consider some of the lessons le
Key Open Banking takeaways from Canada’s Budget 2024
Brigit Carroll, policy lead, North America at Wise, returns to Open Banking Expo Unplugged to discuss the key announcements on consumer-driven banking from Finance Canada’s Budget 2024. She explains the importance of interoperability between Canada’s technical standard and the US, and reveals how expanding the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s remit will help to ensure continued momentum in th
The global state of Open Finance
Ozone API’s co-chief executive officer Huw Davies and newly-appointed chair Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia join Ellie Duncan on Open Banking Expo Unplugged to discuss the global state of the Open Banking and Open Finance movement, from Latin America, to MENA and the UK. In light of Ozone API’s recent funding round, they reveal its plans for expansion into North America, and beyond, and Dame Jayne-Anne tal
How can the UK make the leap to Open Finance and beyond?
Open Banking Expo’s head of content Ellie Duncan is joined on this episode by Stephen Wright, head of regulation and standards, at NatWest’s Bank of APIs, and his colleague, business architect Nisha Rajasingham, as well as Nilixa Devlukia, chair of the Open Finance Association. The guests consider what is required for the UK to make the move from Open Banking to Open Finance, and what might be cau
Can Open Banking and Real-Time Rail come together in Canada?
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Brigit Carroll, policy lead, North America at Wise, to hear about the latest real-time payments developments in Canada. Brigit discusses the recent changes to the Payments Act, as well as what the ecosystem might expect from the Department of Finance’s Budget 2024 when it comes to RTR and Open Banking. She also explains how Canadian consumers and busin
Three milestones set to shape European payments in 2024
In this episode, Andrew Boyajian, vice president of product for payments and CX at Tink, identifies the three key milestones for European payments this year, starting with the main opportunities and challenges that European instant payment regulation is set to bring. Andrew also tells Ellie Duncan how the European Digital Identity Regulation, or eIDAS 2.0, will revolutionise payments. Do these reg
What you need to know about Open Banking in the igaming industry
Stephen Winyard, director at Salt Edge, joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss how Open Banking can address some of the challenges and pain points faced by the igaming industry. He explains the applications and use cases for Open Banking in this industry, including micro-transactions, duty of care, and fraud prevention. Stephen also reveals where there might be some untapped partnership
How the financial services industry is embracing change
Radha Suvarna, chief growth and product officer at Finastra joins Ellie Duncan to discuss the key findings from the Financial Services State of the Nation Survey 2023. He explains what the survey reveals about how AI is being deployed for greatest effect in financial services and banking, and why respondents are so excited about the pace of change across the industry. Radha also talks about Open F
What role for Open Banking in the Future of Payments?
Joe Garner, who led the independent Future of Payments Review published alongside the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in November last year, tells Ellie Duncan about some of the key recommendations. The former chief executive officer of Nationwide also explains how the UK can remain at the forefront of Open Banking, why it needs to, and the threat from Brazil.
How the economic crisis is shaping what banks should offer
Sara Costantini, managing director UK and Ireland at CRIF, tells Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan about the findings from its latest ‘Banking on Banks’ report. She explains how Europeans feel about their finances compared to a year ago, and reveals which customer demographics are the most willing to share their financial data.
Taking the lead on Open Finance in the UK
Ezechi Britton, chief executive officer of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) joins Ellie Duncan, head of editorial and broadcast at Open Banking Expo, on the podcast. He explains why CFIT is the right organisation to drive forward Open Finance in the UK, and the initial outcomes from its Open Finance Coalition. Ezechi also reveals how the coalition structure works and why it
Solving small business’ payment pain points the Xero and Crezco way
Small business accounting platform Xero recently partnered with Crezco to help UK small businesses manage cash flow. Crezco’s chief executive officer and founder Ralph Rogge, and partnerships director David Schilperoort, joined Leigh O’Neill, EGM, money at Xero on the podcast. They discussed how the partnership uses Open Banking to provide a better user experience for small businesses when paying
What’s in store for Open Banking payments in 2024?
Siamac Rezaiezadeh, vice president of product marketing and insights at GoCardless, joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to reveal the key themes and trends set to define Open Banking payments in 2024. He considers what is on the horizon for payments partnerships, fraud prevention, and variable recurring payments. Siamac also takes stock of the progress made in 2023, as Open Banking payments too
The future of competitive advantage in banking and payments
Bottomline’s Zhenya Winter, head of global marketing, financial messaging and Edward Ireland, joint head of commercial product management, financial messaging, join Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss the findings of their latest survey. The latest edition of ‘The Future of Competitive Advantage in Banking and Payments’ addresses how financial institutions measure up in meeting customer ex
Facing up to the threat from Big Tech
Igor Pejic is the author of Big Tech in Finance: How to prevail in the age of Blockchain, digital currencies and Web3. He joins Ellie Duncan to discuss the speed and scale of Big Tech’s entry into finance, with payments as the gateway, and why this inspired his latest book. Igor addresses the need for regulators to create a level playing field for banks and Big Tech as they vie for market share. F
Bringing retailers on the Open Banking journey
Josh Graham, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Airtime Rewards, tells Ellie Duncan how he and co-founder Adam Ward came up with the idea for the UK-based loyalty scheme.
Getting the most out of mentoring
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan caught up with two of our Women in Open Banking members who were matched in our mentoring scheme to find out what they initially sought from mentoring and what they’ve both gained from the scheme. Surbhi Sharma, senior manager at American Express, reveals how her own experiences of being mentored spurred her on to become a mentor. Meanwhile, Davinia Collins, senior
Choosing an Open Banking payments provider
Ellie Duncan is joined on this episode by Olga Karablina, head of payment product development and financial partnerships at Ecommpay and Katharina Luschnik, vice president, head of payments solutions sales at Mastercard Open Banking – Europe. They discuss what businesses need to prioritise in considering which Open Banking payments provider they want to work with, including coverage, functionality
Using VRPs in ETF investing
In this episode, Tom Winterton, head of platform at InvestEngine, tells Ellie Duncan about how its instant payments partnership with TrueLayer came to fruition. He explains how InvestEngine is using variable recurring payments – the “latest iteration” of Open Banking technology – to help clients invest more easily and often, and why payments is a “natural” use case for investing. Finally, he addre
Trends in Canadian consumer data-sharing preferences
Saba Shariff, chief strategy, product and innovation officer at Symcor, joins Ellie Duncan to discuss the findings of the 2023 EY Open Banking Study, conducted in partnership with Symcor, which analyses trends in consumer data-sharing preferences. She explains what the research tells us about consumer trust, and SMBs’ motivations to share data.
Key considerations for creating data sharing ecosystems
Liz Crews and Marie Walker from Raidiam, which built and delivered the world’s first trust framework, join Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan on the podcast. They share some of Raidiam’s key learnings, having been involved in the creation of open ecosystems globally, including the key questions and considerations businesses need to address when creating their own data sharing ecosystem. Marie, in he
On the acquisition trail with Zopa Bank
Merve Ferrero, chief strategy officer at UK-based digital bank Zopa, tells Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan about the company’s journey from peer-to-peer lender, to fully licensed bank. She reveals how Zopa has remained resilient in a tough environment, closing a £75 million fundraise earlier this year and making its first acquisition, with a deal to buy DivideBuy. She also reveals whether Zopa is
Why is digital transformation such a challenge for banks?
Leda Glyptis, chief client officer at 10x Banking and author of ‘Bankers Like Us: Dispatches from an industry in transition’ joins Ellie Duncan to discuss what is meant by transformation and why it is a genuine challenge or difficulty to overcome for many banks. She reveals how she made her own transition from penning regular columns, to writing a book – and if there is another title in the works.
Addressing the needs of Canadian consumers and businesses
David Hooper, VP, Open Banking and payments consulting at CGI, joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss Canada’s Open Banking and payments journey so far. He explains why Canada’s long-awaited Real-Time Rail and Open Finance will cross over eventually and how, when they do, they’ll drive value for Canadian consumers and SMBs. David also reveals why he wants to see dates and timeframes aro
The importance of trust in Canada’s hybrid Open Banking ecosystem
What are the key elements that will enable trust in Canada’s Open Banking framework? In this episode, Symcor's head of new product development and corporate strategy Saba Shariff, along with Sarah Gowdy, VP, client engagement and innovation at Tangerine Bank and Faye Pang, country manager, Canada at Xero, delve into the key measures and standards for creating a trust framework for Open Banking
Taking Open Banking to ‘the next level’ in the UK
Marion King, chair and trustee of Open Banking Limited (OBL), joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to explain why, following the publication of JROC’s recommendations for the UK’s Open Banking regime, she sees the organisation operating as “a guardian of standards” as it transitions to a new entity or entities. King reveals why she decided to take the role at OBL at a “pivotal point” for Open Ba
Building customer loyalty in B2B and B2C payments
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Allen Bonde, chief marketing officer at TreviPay, to discuss customer experience and digital transformation in global B2B payments. He reveals what ‘good’ looks like at a payments checkout, and the implications of failing to evolve payment options for enterprises. He also talks about TreviPay’s growth plans for the UK market.
Unpacking JROC’s recommendations for Open Banking in the UK
The Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee’s (JROC’s) recommendations for the next phase of Open Banking in the UK provide some long-awaited clarity for the ecosystem. Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Tom Burton, director of external affairs and public policy at GoCardless, Stephen Wright, head of regulation and standards at NatWest’s Bank of APIs, and TrueLayer’s head of public policy
Demystifying salary negotiation and addressing pay disparity in Open Banking
Women in Open Banking’s community manager Ellie Duncan is joined by Holly Coventry, VP of international Open Banking payments at American Express and Nichola Johnson-Marshall, co-founder of Working Wonder Consultancy to discuss salary negotiation. They explain how to approach what can often seem like tricky conversations around pay and compensation, particularly for women. Nichola offers her views
What is ‘redecentralisation’ and why does it matter for the digital economy?
Ruth Wandhofer, industry expert, author and Open Banking Expo advisory board member, joins Ellie Duncan to talk about her new book, ‘Redecentralisation: Building the Digital Financial Ecosystem’, published by Palgrave Macmillan. She explains why she believes the digital economy is not working “with the human at the centre” and why the key argument in her book is whether there is a way for technolo
How are banks investing in payments tech as fintechs take market share?
Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan is joined by Oren Marmur, chief technology officer for the payments business unit at Finastra, to discuss a recent piece of research about how global banks are investing in payments technology. He reveals the findings from Finastra’s study with Aite-Novarica Group, and explains why they need to step up investment levels in payments tech to keep up with the pace of
Can Canada put consumers and payments at the heart of Open Banking?
Abdi Hersi, senior manager, payments strategy at Wealthsimple, provides an update on the state of Open Banking in Canada, given the ongoing consultation process, and explains why Australia’s implementation is particularly influential. He also tells Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan what needs to happen for consumers to be “at the heart of the system” and why he is focused on “connecting the dots” b
The main challenges of Open Banking implementation
GFT’s Mauricio Deutsch, Canada banking and capital markets leader, and Carlos Kazuo, Americas innovation leader outline why the main barriers to implementing Open Banking are different levels of market maturity and the adoption of varying legal and regulatory standards. They tell Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan how North America and Europe, in particular, can overcome these challenges. Mauricio a
Combining Tide and Funding Options to better serve UK SMEs
Oliver Prill, chief executive officer of Tide, and Simon Cureton, Funding Options chief executive officer, tell Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan about their plans to merge the two companies. It follows a recent announcement that Tide’s acquisition of Funding Options has been approved by the UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. Simon reveals his vision for Tide’s existing credit inte
What does good customer experience look like in FS?
David Brear, co-founder and chief executive officer of 11:FS, talks to Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan about the 11:FS Pulse Report 2023, which identifies the best examples of outstanding product experiences in financial services. David reveals why the sector needs to rethink the customer journey, from a digital perspective, to create a service that makes people better off. He also discusses the
What’s at stake for Open Banking in the UK this year?
GoCardless director of external affairs and public policy Tom Burton, and Nilixa Devlukia, chair of the Open Finance Association, join Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss what’s next for Open Banking in the UK, as it reaches a number of milestones. Tom and Nilixa reveal some of the key upcoming dates for the ecosystem, and the long-term impact on the UK’s global competitiveness as the indu
Mapping the Australian Open Banking ecosystem
Brenton Charnley, founder and chief executive officer of Open Finance Advisors, tells Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan about why Australia is still early in its Open Banking journey, despite the ambition of the country’s Consumer Data Right (CDR). Brenton also discusses the findings of Open Finance Advisors’ recently published ‘Australian Open Banking Ecosystem Map & Report’, which identi
Why central banks are exploring CBDCs
Xiaochen Zhang, global head of innovation and go-to-market at AWS, and Erica Salinas, principal technical leader – Web3 at Amazon, join Ellie Duncan on the podcast to explain what has spurred central banks to explore central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and why some central banks have taken the lead. They also address some of the biggest global trends, such as digital assets and the use of bloc
Why central banks are exploring CBDCs
Xiaochen Zhang, global head of innovation and go-to-market at AWS, and Erica Salinas, principal technical leader – Web3 at Amazon, join Ellie Duncan on the podcast to explain what has spurred central banks to explore central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and why some central banks have taken the lead. They also address some of the biggest global trends, such as digital assets and the use of bloc
Everything you need to know about Women in Open Banking
In this special episode of Open Banking Expo Unplugged, Holly Coventry, VP, international Open Banking payments at American Express and Adam Cox, co-founder of Open Banking Expo, explain why they jointly launched the Women in Open Banking initiative and how it will champion women. They are joined by Bankifi CEO Mark Hartley, who has signed up as a Women in Open Banking mentor, to reveal what mente
Backing early-stage fintechs in challenging times
In this episode, Olga Shikhantsova, a partner at venture capital fund Speedinvest, joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to explain what she looks for in the early-stage fintech startups she backs and how fintechs in Europe and emerging markets can secure funding against a challenging economic backdrop. She also reveals the type of opportunities that the current macroeconomic environment can pres
Marking the fifth anniversary of PSD2
Henk Van Hulle, CEO of the UK’s Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) joins Open Banking Expo’s Ellie Duncan to discuss the fifth anniversary of the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which made Open Banking a regulatory requirement in the UK. He talks about the completion of the CMA Roadmap and the implications for the OBIE. He also responds to concerns that the UK will fall behind oth
Creating a blueprint for Open Banking
Open Banking Expo's Ellie Duncan is joined by Chris Michael, CEO and co-founder of Ozone API, and Huw Davies, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Ozone API, to explain how their industry experience led them to establish the company, along with CTO Freddi Gyara, and why it was the right time to rebrand towards the end of 2022. Chris and Huw also reveal how they came to create the UK's Open B
Addressing the challenges facing European ecommerce merchants
Lili Metodieva, managing director at European payment ecosystem Monneo, tells Open Banking Expo's Ellie Duncan how she is helping to build out the company's network of partners and how Open Banking is helping to address some of the biggest challenges facing ecommerce merchants. She also explains what Europe can learn from how other countries have introduced payment networks, such as WeChat Pay in
