Fintech Unleashed: Unlocking Innovation in Finance

In today’s financial landscape where AI is rapidly evolving, digital transformation never stops. Technology can no longer live in a silo and neither can the leaders who guide it. In our latest podcast, Virginia Heyburn is joined by Engage fi’s Executive Affiliate, John Cassidy, former CEO of Sierra Central Credit Union, to explore how technology and business strategy must now move in lockstep. They dive into the rise of technology ...

Virginia Heyburn is joined by James White, Principal Strategist at Engage fi, for a deep dive into one of the most transformative and challenging topics in financial services: artificial intelligence. They explore what it really takes to build and execute an effective AI strategy, the most common mistakes we see, and what a true AI strategy actually looks like. With so many AI vendors entering the market, they cover key questions y...

In this episode, Virginia is joined by James White, Principal Strategist at Engage fi, for a deep dive into CRMs and AI. They explore how AI has transformed CRM from a static system of record into a dynamic tool that drives meaningful action. Virginia and James highlight the tangible results financial institutions are already seeing with AI-powered CRMs and look ahead at how AI driven and CRM driven banks and credit unions can futu...

On this episode of Fintech Unleashed, Virginia Heyburn is joined by Fabio Biasella, Engage fi’s Director of Strategic Services, to discuss the economic outlook for the second half of 2025. They explore key trends shaping the landscape, including the employment market, interest rates, inflation, and the growing debt burden. They also take a closer look at where loan and deposit growth may be headed, the biggest risks currently facin...

On this episode of Fintech Unleashed, Virginia Heyburn, Director of Research, Insights, and Advocacy, is joined by Jason Beckmann, Executive Vice President of Technology and Operations at Emprise Bank for an exciting conversation on emerging technology in banking. They dive into some of the hottest topics shaping the industry, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and banking as a service. They also explo...

Virginia Heyburn is back with another episode of Fintech Unleashed. On today’s episode, Virginia is joined by Joe Dugan, Strategic Advisor at Engage fi. Together, they explore the importance of operational efficiency, the challenges faced by banks and credit unions, and how channel optimization can enhance the member/customer experience and lead to significant cost savings.  They also discuss the need for a customer-centric approac...

Virginia Heyburn is back with another episode of Fintech Unleashed. On this episode, she is joined by Anne Miela, Engage fi’s Vice President of Implementations to explore core modernization as an efficiency strategy. They discuss what makes core conversions unique in today’s landscape, how financial institutions can leverage them to drive efficiency, and the key steps to ensuring a core conversion delivers the desired results.

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Virginia Heyburn is joined by Fabio Biasella, Director of Strategic Services at Engage fi to discuss the top trends banks and credit unions should be prioritizing in 2025. As we look ahead to a new year, the industry continues to evolve quickly, bringing both challenges and opportunities. From modernizing operations and embracing artificial intelligence to engaging the next generation of customers and navigating open banking, they ...

Virginia Heyburn is back with another episode of Fintech Unleashed. On today’s episode, she is joined by Duncan Taylor, SVP, Chief Operating Officer at the Washington Bankers Association to explore Gen Z’s role in shaping the future of the banking industry. They discuss what financial institutions are prioritizing when hiring Gen Z, tackle common misconceptions this generation has about working in banking, and examine whether tradi...

Many FIs struggle with sunsetting communications systems and outdated technology, causing a disconnect across all channels. Integrating communication platforms will enable FIs to streamline processes among employees, customers/members, and partners and create a second-to-none customer experience. Engage FI's Stacey McClure addresses the pain points FIs face in this arena and explains why NOW is the time to act and transform.

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In this episode, Virginia Heyburn is joined by Jenn Addabbo, Co-founder & CEO of Engage fi to discuss the evolving landscape of the payments industry. They dive into the latest trends, from emerging payment types like real-time payments and digital wallets, to the growing importance of fraud management in a world where security is paramount. Virginia and Jenn will also explore the foundational technologies driving these changes...

Virginia Heyburn, Director of Research, Insights, and Advocacy is back with September's Ten in 10 where she addresses the most impactful news stories in the world of finance. In this episode, Virginia discusses significant developments in the regulatory landscape, profitability trends in fintech, lending challenges faced by credit unions, and the unprecedented amount of mergers between banks and credit unions. One of the most ...

Virginia Heyburn is back with this month’s Ten in 10, where she explores the top news stories impacting the financial services industry. On this episode, Virginia discusses the impact the presidential ballot has on financial institutions, the growth of real time payment networks, trends in bank earnings, and the state of the economy. The CrowdStrike incident shined a light on the importance of operational risk management and Virgin...

Engage fi Co-Founder and CEO, Jenn Addabbo is joined by Carrie Birkhofer, President & CEO at Bay Federal Credit Union, Kathy Courtney, COO at Greenstate Credit Union, and Julie Kleffel, EVP & COO at Seacoast Bank. In this episode we shine a light on some of the incredible women who are making waves in the world of finance. We dive into their inspiring journeys to leadership, highlighting the importance of mentorship and bal...