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Daniel Faggella

The AI in Financial Services is for non-technical financial services leaders looking to find AI opportunities, build an AI strategy, and deliver ROI.

Each week, Emerj AI Research team (and CEO Daniel Faggella) interview leaders from global financial services firms and unicorn AI startups to get to the heart of AI ROI - uncovering what's working and what's not working for FinServ leaders.

Visit our advertising page to learn more about reaching our executive audience of AI adopters in the world's largest banking and insurance firms: https://emerj.com/advertise

AI in Financial Services Podcast

Today's guest is Karan Gandhi, Senior Director for Verification and Fraud at Best Egg. Best Egg is a consumer lending platform focused on responsible, data-driven credit access. Karan joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how deepfakes, synthetic identities, bot attacks, and agentic systems are reshaping the fraud landscape and what these shifts mean for data and AI strategy in financial services. Karan also breaks down the practical steps enterprises can take to strengthen verification workflows, leverage metadata and OCR analysis more effectively, and frame fraud-prevention ROI in a way that secures executive buy-in for modernizing their technology stack. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Balancing Friction and Growth in Digital Fraud Strategy - with Karan Gandhi at Best Egg

The introduction of DeepSeek's R1 large language model has sparked global discussion about what happens when open-source innovation meets geopolitical constraints. What does this mean for financial markets, AI development, and the future of global competition? In this episode of the 'AI in Financial Services' podcast, host Matthew DeMello speaks with Sudeep Kesh, Chief Innovation Officer at S&P Global Ratings, and Martin Whitworth, Lead Cyber Expert at S&P Global Ratings, about how DeepSeek's model reveals the evolving relationship between resource constraints, innovation, and risk management in AI. The conversation explores the technological breakthroughs behind DeepSeek's design, why open-source transparency changes the game for enterprise leaders, and how regulatory intentions often create new innovation cycles. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

The Future of AI Competition in Financial Services After DeepSeek's Breakthrough - with Sudeep Kesh and Martin Whitworth of S&P Global Ratings

As financial services accelerate their digital transformations, AI is reshaping how institutions identify, assess, and manage risk. But with that transformation comes an equally complex web of systemic risks, regulatory challenges, and questions about accountability. In this episode of the AI in Business podcast, host Matthew DeMello, Head of Content at Emerj, speaks with Miriam Fernandez, Director in the Analytical Innovation Team specializing in AI research at S&P Global Ratings, and Sudeep Kesh, Chief Innovation Officer at S&P Global Ratings. Together, they unpack how generative AI, agentic systems, and regulatory oversight are evolving within one of the most interconnected sectors of the global economy. The conversation explores how AI is amplifying both efficiency and exposure across financial ecosystems — from the promise of multimodal data integration in risk management to the growing challenge of concentration and contagion risks in increasingly digital markets. Miriam and Sudeep discuss how regulators are responding through risk-based frameworks such as the EU AI Act and DORA, and how the private sector is taking a larger role in ensuring transparency, compliance, and trust. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

The Role of AI in Risk Management and Compliance - with Miriam Fernandez and Sudeep Kesh at S&P Global Ratings

Today's guest is Andy Byrne, Founder and CEO of Clari, returns to share early findings from Clari's upcoming report on AI in revenue operations. The headline: 2024 was tough — only 33% of revenue leaders hit plan — yet 91% expect to hit 2025 targets, largely due to AI. Andy breaks down how leaders are using predictive AI to surface risk and momentum and generative AI to create, convert, and close across deals, reps, products, and regions. He details why internal conversational data often outperforms external signals, what "agentic strategies" look like in practice, and why non-adopters risk leadership churn. We close with a tactical playbook for forming a CRO–CIO steering committee, mapping human workflows, and running focused conversion experiments that ladder to measurable revenue lift. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

The Role of AI in Reducing Revenue Risk and Improving Accuracy - with Andy Byrne at Clari

Today's guest is Andy Byrne, Founder and CEO of Clari. Clari is an AI-driven platform that transforms how financial institutions manage revenue operations and forecasting, turning complex data into clear, actionable insights for confident decision-making. Their platform delivers forecasts and enterprise-wide insights, giving financial institutions the predictability and confidence they need to drive growth at scale. Andy joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello on the AI in Business podcast to discuss how predictive and generative AI are transforming revenue operations, particularly in financial services. Andy explains how revenue leaders are using predictive AI to increase forecast accuracy, identify risks, and improve shareholder value, while generative and agentic AI are beginning to automate sales workflows and reduce the burden of manual tracking. Together, they explore the hype cycle around agentic AI, where the failures are likely to emerge, and how financial institutions like Capital One and Charles Schwab are deploying these technologies today. Byrne also highlights the critical role of "revenue context" — understanding who did what, when, and with what outcome — as a foundation for scaling AI-driven revenue platforms. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! Join enterprise leaders at Emerj's Vision to Value AI Infra Summit to explore strategies for building, securing, and scaling AI infrastructure. Reserve your free spot today: emerj.com/infrasummit4. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

The Biggest AI Trends Shaping Sales and Revenue Teams - with Andy Byrne at Clari

Today's guest on the 'AI in Financial Services' podcast is Charleyne Biondi, Associate Vice President of Moody's Ratings in the Digital Economy Team. Charleyne Biondi, Associate Vice President of Moody's Ratings in the Digital Economy Team. Charleyne returns to the program to share her perspective on the rapidly evolving landscape of AI regulation, comparing the EU AI Act, the US sector-specific approach, and emerging international frameworks. She outlines how regulatory divergence is shaping adoption, trust, and compliance costs for companies operating globally. Charleyne also emphasizes the risks of regulatory fragmentation in the US, where state-level laws often impose requirements as stringent as Europe's. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

How International AI Safety Efforts Are Shaping the Future of Governance - with Charleyne Biondi of Moody's

Today's guest on the 'AI in Financial Services' podcast is Charleyne Biondi, Associate Vice President of Moody's Ratings in the Digital Economy Team. Charleyne brings a broad perspective on how AI adoption is unfolding in financial services and the wider global economy. She explains how generative AI has lowered adoption barriers, accelerating experimentation while raising new challenges around integration, risk, and reliability. While many businesses see immediate efficiency gains at the individual level, Charleyne notes that true productivity impact requires deeper organizational transformation—connecting AI to legacy IT systems, retraining staff, and ensuring secure and reliable outputs. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Why Autonomous AI Systems Are Accelerating Enterprise Adoption - with Charleyne Biondi of Moody's

Today's guest is Gautam Samanta, President and Executive Director, Head of Global Banking and Financial Services at Coforge. Coforge is a global IT services firm specializing in digital solutions for industries such as banking, insurance, travel, and manufacturing, with a focus on domain-driven consulting and emerging technologies like AI and cloud. Gautam joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to unpack how banking and financial services leaders can align digital transformation with business goals, move generative AI and blockchain initiatives beyond the hype, and build resilience through cybersecurity, modernization, and global delivery strategies. Their conversation also explores how mid-market banks are scaling offshore capabilities, and why strong data governance and a clear cultural vision are critical to navigating the next wave of change in financial services. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Looking at the Future of Banking and Financial Services in 2025 by Data Signal - with Gautam Samanta of Coforge

Today's guest is Kyle Hathorn, Director of Customer Experience and Strategy at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). FNBO is a privately held, family-led financial institution with over $32 billion in assets and approximately 4,500 employees, offering personal, business, commercial, and wealth banking across eight Midwestern states, alongside a national reach through its credit‑card programs. Kyle joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explore how banks can meet rising customer expectations while navigating economic uncertainty and digital transformation. Together, they unpack the unique challenges of delivering seamless, personalized experiences in a heavily regulated, multi-platform environment. From the impacts of inflation on customer loyalty to the cautious integration of AI, Kyle emphasizes the importance of trust, transparency, and alignment across product and data teams. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Trust and Transformation in Banking CX – with Kyle Hathorn of FNBO

Today's guest is Itumeleng Masunyane, Senior Vice President of Internal Audit at Amicorp Group. Together, they examine the shifting landscape of compliance and internal audit as organizations adopt more advanced forms of AI, including agentic systems. The conversation begins by outlining why traditional, manual audit processes often struggle to keep pace with evolving regulations across multiple jurisdictions—leading to inconsistencies, burnout, and heightened risk. Itumeleng explains how AI-driven automation and predictive modeling can help teams reconcile regulatory requirements, detect anomalies in real-time, and generate more reliable audit trails. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Automation Anywhere. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Smarter Compliance Strategies for Regulated Industries - with Itumeleng Masunyane of Amicorp

This month's theme is the culture of innovation within banks. When we did our AI in banking Vendor Scorecard and Capability Map report and we asked bankers what the biggest barrier to AI adoption in banking was, the number one response was the lack of a culture of innovation within banks. And the question is: how do we change that? How do we cultivate that culture?
 
In this episode, we interview Josephine Baliah, former Head of Client Experience Design at FirstRand Group, about having leadership that steps behind innovation. She talks about what the leadership can do and where it can be hired from.

Building an Innovative Culture From the Top - with Josephine Baliah

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