The Purposeful Banker

Hosted by Q2

BusinessExplicit

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Episodes

370

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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About the show

The Purposeful Banker podcast is focused on the issues, industry topics, and concerns on the minds of bankers, especially in the commercial banking market. From market trends to business strategy, listeners get insightful, concrete information to help them build stronger financial institutions.

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60 recent

September 1, 202620 min

Investing in Fraud Defense: Rethinking the Calculations

Every fraud conversation eventually turns into a pricing conversation, and most banks and credit unions walk in ready to defend a budget using only one number: last year's fraud losses. HD Jacobs, a digital banking fraud solutions sales lead at Q2, joins The Purposeful Banker to make the case that losses are only one line in the real cost of fraud, and he walks through the operational, opportunity, and relationship costs that belong in the conversation, too. Related Links [Report] Stopping Account Takeover [Ebook] Fraud Intelligence: Build Trust, Not Friction [Blog] Don't Let Fraud Distract From Your Banking Mission [LinkedIn] HD Jacobs

August 25, 202626 min

The Competitive Edge Hiding in Your Fintech Partners

Q2 Innovation Studio just marked its fifth anniversary, with more than 90% of Q2 Digital Banking Platform customers now using its SDK and partner ecosystem. Johnny Ola, SVP of Q2 Innovation Studio, shares the origin story, explains how Q2 vets and works with partners, highlights the use cases banks and credit unions are prioritizing today, and previews what's next as Q2 Code opens up new ways to build on the platform. Related Links [News Release] Q2 Innovation Studio Marks Five Years [Webpage] Q2 Innovation Studio [Blog] A Closer Look at Q2 Code [LinkedIn] Johnny Ola

August 4, 202624 min

Lack of Resilience: A Mid-2026 Commercial Banking Check-In

Six months into 2026, pricing activity is up, but spreads are compressed, fixed-rate margins are under pressure, and deposit balances aren't growing the way banks planned. Q2's Jim Young and Anna-Fay Lohn compare the year-end State of Commercial Banking data against mid-year market reality and talk through what commercial bankers and pricing managers should be paying attention to in the second half of the year. Related Links [Blog] Commercial Loan and Deposit Pricing Market Update [Report] 2026 State of Commercial Banking [LinkedIn] Anna-Fay Lohn

July 21, 202635 min

Thriving Through Disruption: Digital Strategies for a Changing Market

Commercial banking is changing fast, and the institutions winning aren't waiting for things to settle. In this episode, recorded live at Q2's CONNECT 26 customer conference, treasury and payments leaders from Associated Bank, Columbia Bank, First Citizens Bank, and Atlantic Union Bank talk through client expectations, payments modernization, embedded banking, AI, fraud, and what a best-in-class treasury sales team looks like. Related Links [Blog] One Platform, No Ceiling: Q2's Approach to Commercial and SMB Banking [Blog] The End of Double Entry in Commercial Banking [LinkedIn] Dean Jenkins [LinkedIn] Eric Lien [LinkedIn] Kathryn Albright [LinkedIn] Matt Ribbens [LinkedIn] Rob Noon

July 7, 202619 min

An Inflection Point in the Fight Against Fraud

Fraud leaders at banks and credit unions aren't asking whether AI belongs in the fraud stack. They're asking whom they can trust to build with. Jeff Scott, Q2's managing director, Fraud Intelligence, joins the podcast to discuss what it takes to move from alert-chasing to running a full fraud intelligence operation, and why—amid all the AI momentum—human trust is more important than ever. Related Links [LinkedIn] Jeff Scott [Blog] From Disconnected Tools to Connected Intelligence: Q2's Platform Vision [Blog] Account Takeover Is a Journey Problem: Here's How to Solve It [AI-Focused Podcast] Cut to Context

June 23, 202629 min

What Hundreds of FI Budget Conversations Reveal About 2027

Budget planning shapes what actually gets done. Melissa Haire, senior vice president of Customer Success at Q2, talks through how financial institutions can move from a project-by-project mindset to a connected strategy where every dollar ties back to desired outcomes. From digital engagement and commercial growth to fraud prevention and AI investment, Melissa shares what the best-performing institutions have in common when they sit down to plan. Related Links [Blog] Planning for 2027: The Priorities Shaping Budget Decisions [Guide] 2027 Budget Planning Guide [Podcast] Cut to Context [LinkedIn] Melissa Haire

June 9, 202615 min

Beyond the Binary: A Smarter Response to Account Takeover Risk

Fraud teams rarely struggle with the obvious cases. It's the in-between moments that are hardest: a suspicious login here, a profile change there, a third-party signal that something might be off. The problem is that most account takeover defenses still force a binary choice. Lock the user out or let them through. In this episode, Q2 Product Manager Kristina Wingers joins host Jim Young to talk about why that binary approach no longer fits the reality of modern fraud, what a more proportional response looks like, and how financial institutions can buy themselves time to investigate without shutting down legitimate customers or letting fraud slide. Related Links [Blog] Beyond Binary: A Smarter Way to Respond to Account Takeover Risk [Webpage] Stop Account Takeover Before It Does Damage [LinkedIn] Kristina Wingers

May 26, 202625 min

The Hidden Cost of Banking Heroics

In this episode of The Purposeful Banker, Nicholas Koutouras, VP of Product Management for Q2's Relationship Pricing and Profitability business, discusses why repeated late saves can signal deeper drift inside a bank and how disciplined banks create consistency to help teams spot issues earlier and make steadier decisions. Related Links [Playbook] Beyond Pricing. Disciplined Performance. Real Impact. [LinkedIn] Nicholas Koutouras

May 12, 202637 min

More Than Another AI Conversation

In this episode of The Purposeful Banker, we're sharing a conversation that goes deeper than the usual AI headlines. In a replay of Q2's new AI-focused podcast, Cut to Context, Adam Blue and Hima Mukkamala explore where AI really sits in the hype cycle, what it is changing in software development, and why human judgment, validation, and systems thinking still matter. For bankers, it's a useful look at how AI may reshape the way financial institutions build, innovate, and compete. Related Links [Podcast] Cut to Context [Website] AI for Everyone [LinkedIn] Adam Blue [LinkedIn] Hima Mukkamala

April 21, 202624 min

Why Discipline, Not Momentum, Drives Better Bank Performance

I n this episode, Nick Koutouras explores what it takes to build a repeatable operating rhythm that strengthens pricing discipline, portfolio oversight, and relationship decision-making. The conversation looks at how governance drift begins, what signals leaders should watch for, and how banks can maintain consistency even when business conditions are strong. Related Links [Blog] Designing the Operating Rhythm of a Relationship-Focused Bank [Blog] The Four Seasons of Banking [Blog] Relationship Pricing Breaks Down Silos [LinkedIn] Nicholas Koutouras