Beyond Resilience: What it Really Takes to Build, Lead, and Last
In the Hot Seat
There are no silver bullets, but there is a pattern to success. This episode of In The Hot Seat welcomes back fintech strategist and author Leda Glyptis to unpack what it truly takes to build, lead, and last in an industry where 95% of startups fail. From redefining success as “the art of not dying” to the difficult introspection founders have to do when they hit a wall, Leda and Denise offer up an alternative to toxic hustle culture and break down why experience, boundaries, discipline and leadership are key. Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Leda Glyptis, author and...
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The Winning Perspective for Business from an Olympic Perspective
In the Hot Seat
From podiums to businesses. Elite sports and high-performing businesses operate under the same unforgiving principles: driving performance requires inspired leadership, clear goals, strict planning, good team dynamics and a healthy serving of resilience. The question isn’t if you need all this but whether or not you have what it takes to implement it. The hot seat welcomes paralympic powerhouse Birgit Skarstein, Chief Inspiration Officer at Enfuce, to clear a path forward. Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Birgit Skarstein, Paralympian gold medallist, world — and European...
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With Fortitude — Tackling SDG 16 with Passion and Purpose
In the Hot Seat
Waiting for regulation is boring, you don’t need permission to shake up the world! Marja Innanen, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Finland, Monika Liikama, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Enfuce, and Juspal Manic, CRO at Featurespace, sit in the hot seat for a provocative discussion on UN Sustainable Development Goal 16's overlooked challenges of peace, justice, and strong institutions. Listen in for hot takes on impending regulation and what to do about them, why SDGs are only ever an opportunity for growth, and why you should aim for 100% when outsmarting fraudsters. ...
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Navigating the AI Wild West: A regulatory and payments-focused deep dive
In the Hot Seat
Wild West or world of opportunity for fintechs? Charles Kerrigan, Partner at CMS London, and Matt Williamson, SVP at Endava jump into the hot seat. Listen in for insights on what the most recent AI revolutions might mean for fintechs, the types of regulations being put forward, the impacts of horizontal versus vertical regulation, why GenAI is an expert tool for experts, and what early-adopting organisations might be doing wrong when it comes to their data. Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Charles Kerrigan, Partner at CMS London, and Matt Williamson, SVP at Endava, in the hot...
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Pleo x Enfuce: A Nordic Love Song- Keeping the Love Alive in Fintech Partnerships
In the Hot Seat
Ready for a steamy tech love story?. Thorbjørn Fink, COO of Pleo joins Denise for a spicy chat in the hot seat. Learn from Pleo and Enfuce’s love story about building winning partnerships, maintaining great communication, making compromises and navigating the occasional rough patch. Denise and Thorbjørn discuss learning the right love languages, building trust, and dealing with a partner if the shoe doesn’t fit. Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Thorbjørn Fink, COO of Pleo and longtime business partner, in the hot seat. [3:42] Being a supplier is one thing, being a...
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The Metaverse: Money’s Next Frontier
In the Hot Seat
Are you ready for money in the Metaverse? David Birch, payment industry legend and Author of Money in The Metaverse joins the hot seat to discuss what fintechs need to know about the future of payments in the Metaverse, what exactly the Metaverse is and why it isn’t just a virtual space and how it might help level the playing field when it comes to being more inclusive, and tackling fraud! Key Takeaways. [0:00] Denise Johansson puts David Birch, payment industry legend and Author of Money in The Metaverse, in the hot seat. [3:30] David points out the fundamental differences in...
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Stranger Than Fiction
In the Hot Seat
Financial fraud is a full-blown epidemic. Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and Author of Rinsed jumps in the hot seat to explain the current landscape, what the future might look like, and how getting back to the basics of employee engagement might be the best defense companies have against fraudsters. Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and Author of Rinsed, in the hot seat. [2:24] Social media feeds are feeding the fraud epidemic while a cashless society removes friction for laundering and money routing. [4:53] Geoff explains how the...
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From Dinosaurs to Dynamos
In the Hot Seat
Can banks do what needs to be done to stay alive? How can the legacy players stave off the next ice age? Leda Glyptis, recovering banker and author, and Monika Liikamaa Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Enfuce burn up the hot seat with a no-holds-barred discussion on how parasitic relationships, hedging bets, and corporate FOMO killed off countless fintechs with great potential! And, just wait till they dish on why banks need to start moving away from in-house builds and into partnerships to truly succeed in a customer-driven world! Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Leda Glyptis,...
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Power To The People
In the Hot Seat
Disrupt the status quo and give power to the people! Felipe Hillard from the Bank of London, jumps in the hot seat to tackle the notion of control (and why sharing is a good thing), how inclusivity helps align payment solutions with customer needs, why choosing value over profit puts you squarely in the eye of the finance revolution, and why honing your purpose and focus in the fintech space can save you from going extinct. Key Takeaways. [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Felipe Hillard, Chief Client Officer at the Bank of London, in the hot seat. [2:01] The historical context and current...
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Back to the future: Reimagining the future of payments
In the Hot Seat
What does an AI future mean for fintech? Matthew Gardiner, from A1 AI, jumps in the hot seat for a burning discussion on what fintechs need to do today to be part of an AI future, how fraudsters provide a great learning opportunity, and why you need to start using AI in your organization today. Key Takeaways [0:0] Denise Johansson puts Matthew Gardiner, founder of A1 AI, in the hot seat. [3:15] Matthew shares how long he has been learning about AI. [4:23] Why this AI revolution cycle is the most important one to date as we walk into the supercomputing age. [5:46] Matthew shares where...
info_outlineBuilding strong partnerships takes a lot of work, Joe Samuel from VISA talks about being fearless, looking for open doors, and keeping a learning mindset. Listen in for tips on avoiding misfit partnerships, what it takes to league with giants, and how your management team dynamics can influence partner decisions.
Key Takeaways.
- [0:00] Denise Johansson puts Joe Samuel, Vice President, Head of Issuer Enablers, Europe for VISA, in the hot seat.
- [2:26] Politics is about people and about getting things done, together.
- [6:00] Joe was going to be a banker, which brought him to Washington DC and surprisingly, tech!
- [11:02] Having a diversity of partners and looking for common ground is key to building future-proof businesses.
- [12:18] Surrounding yourself with new insights offers tangible benefits, like not getting left in the dust!
- [13:36] Joe’s advice on partnering up with a giant: find the open door.
- [17:11] What do big players look for in fintech partners? Joe breaks down the key qualities of companies he invests in.
- [20:45] Joe’s honest thoughts on working for VISA.
- [23:25] Whether you work for a small or large company, in every interaction, you have to learn to find the takeaway.
- [24:07] Joe’s tips for avoiding partnership misfits.
- [27:20] Shaking hands and signing the papers is just the start of a whole marathon.
- [29:00] Find the people who can help you move your mission forward: “Who else should I get to know”.
- [31:07] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat.
People.
- Guest Joe Samuel, Vice President, Head of Issuer Enablers, Europe, VISA, Helping people and businesses in our markets to prosper in a global economy.
- Host Denise Johansson, co-CEO and co-Founder of Enfuce, a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion.
Links.
Social.
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Guest Quotes.
- To get things done, it's really important to find others. No one does things on their own. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
- A partnership doesn't mean everything has to be shared. Find core areas where two organizations share the same point of view, the same direction, or the same philosophy. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
- It's important to not let fear of the unknown drive decision-making. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
- The bigger players are complex and you might not know where to go or who to talk to, but that doesn't mean there are not people in there who want to find you. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
- Have a strategy that outlines your overall roadmap for growth from a strategic perspective and identify what you need to enhance, and what you bring to the table. If you start off with that mindset, you can build great partnerships. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
- It's not just signing and shaking hands and then walking away. That's just the starting part, after that, you still gotta run the race. — Joe Samuel, VISA, InTheHotSeat
Denise Quotes.
- It's easy to think that to have a good partnership you should be the same size and have more similarities on paper. But it’s not true. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat
- No matter who you are meeting, always be looking for the lesson to be learned from this conversation. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat
- Signing the paper, and shaking hands, that's really just the beginning… The fun part comes after that! Depending on if you like dating or being married. — Denise Johansson, Enfuce, InTheHotSeat