Best Cynergy Bank Podcasts (2025)

1
Best AI adoption strategies from 2025: Efficiency, risk management while protecting trust & compliance | Rana Bhattacharya 19:33

17d ago19:33

19:33

Is AI the ultimate growth hack, or a shortcut to costly mistakes? In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how businesses can harness AI to boost efficiency without risking compliance or customer trust. From identifying the right processes to automate, to setting guardrails and keeping humans in the loop - this is your roadmap to safe, smar…

1
Alexandra Ebert: The AI Workslop Problem 14:47

1M ago14:47

14:47

Alexandra Ebert, advisor to regulators like the FCA and IEEE, as well as chief AI and democratisation officer at Mostly AI, joins Tom to discuss the modern AI landscape. She warns that too many organisations are rushing to “get more GenAI” without doing the groundwork, arguing that AI needs to be a strategic capability rooted in solid data foundati…

1
The simple shifts that help to create sustainable performance without team burnout | Leanne Spencer 23:44

1M ago23:44

23:44

Is burnout the hidden cost of rapid growth? In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we explore how fast-growing businesses can maintain momentum without exhausting their teams or damaging their bottom line. You’ll learn why constant high performance is a myth, how to anticipate pressure points, and the simple shifts that help to create sustainable gr…

1
Katia Gil Guzman: Why OpenAI's EU Dev Lead Says ‘No’ to Vibe Coding 29:52

1M ago29:52

29:52

In this bonus episode Tom Allen sits down with Katia Gil Guzman, a founding member of OpenAI’s Developer Experience team, to explore how AI coding is evolving beyond the hype. Katia explains why OpenAI actively discourages “vibe coding” for anything beyond small experiments, arguing that enterprise-ready AI tools should behave more like software en…

1
Leading without losing it: CISOs Don Gibson & Bronwyn Boyle on protecting mental health in cyber 24:28

1M ago24:28

24:28

Cyber attacks and crisis response are daily realities for security professionals, but the demands of defending critical systems and services from cyber attack can exert a heavy toll on cybersecurity practitioners at all levels. A combination of the "always on" nature of cybersecurity, the urgency of the task and some of the personality traits often…

1
Scaling without chaos: Building the leadership team you need | Dominic Monkhouse 22:43

2M ago22:43

22:43

Is your leadership team ready for the next stage of growth, or are they holding you back? In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions, we unpack how to hire, evolve and align your senior team so they can take your business where you want it to go. From creating clear job scorecards to avoiding the trap of abdication, we discuss the practical steps to buil…

1
Trailer 1:24

2M ago1:24

1:24

Welcome to Scale Up Sessions, your roadmap to scale your business. I’m Martin Kennington, and every week, I’ll be joined by experts from across finance, entrepreneurship, and investment to help you craft pitches that win, make smarter financial decisions, and scale your business with confidence. We’ll share the key to all areas of modern business s…

1
John Seabourn: Growing Tomorrow’s Talent at APEM Group 21:08

2M ago21:08

21:08

When John Seabourn asked his team how AI made them feel, the answers ranged from "excited" to "concerned," but the word that stood out most was "efficient". In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, John - CDIO of global environmental consultancy APEM Group - joins Tom to unpack what that word really means in a world where technology can accelerate renewab…

1
Rachel Bence: Sustainable Computing, Human Leadership 22:36

2M ago22:36

22:36

Queen Mary University of London CIO Rachel Bence joins Computing’s Penny Horwood to discuss how the university is embedding sustainability into its IT strategy — from using waste heat from high-performance computing to warm student halls, to running datacentres powered by recycled energy. Rachel shares how a focus on sustainability aligns with Quee…

1
Rana Bhattacharya: Why Cynergy Banks on Flutter 14:09

4M ago14:09

14:09

Banking is known for its monolithic, legacy IT systems, but new challenger banks have a different approach. Cynergy Bank's CDIO Rana Bhattacharya joins Tom to explain how the bank is blending the latest tech with a modern mindset. By adopting Flutter and a microservices architecture, Cynergy has been able to build once and deploy across iOS, Androi…

1
Steve Capper: From Construction to Carnival Cruises 16:28

4M ago16:28

16:28

Tom speaks with Steve Capper, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Carnival UK, whose brands include Cunard and P&O Cruises. Formerly a multi-award-winning leader in the engineering and construction world, Capper explains how the leap into the cruise industry revealed unexpected parallels, from large-scale refits to complex logistics, but with on…

1
Paul Smith: Fighting for Rights, not Revenue 19:36

6M ago19:36

19:36

Paul Smith, CIO of Amnesty International, offers a rare glimpse into what it means to lead technology in one of the world’s largest and most complex nonprofit organisations. With operations in over 150 countries, Paul’s role goes far beyond the usual CIO remit: from safeguarding whistleblowers in war zones to supporting campaigners in politically s…

1
Building Trust, Driving Growth & Staying Customer-Obsessed with Amy Loh, CMO at Pipe 38:26

6M ago38:26

38:26

Send us a text Revenue-based financing. Embedded capital. Two sides of the same fintech coin—but scaling one is way harder than building the other. In this episode, Amy Loh breaks down how Pipe navigated a major product pivot without losing its mission, voice, or growth momentum. From her time building verticalised marketing engines at Square to sc…

1
Matt Sharp: Building digital, brick by brick 24:00

6M ago24:00

24:00

Technology still plays second fiddle to steel and scaffolding in many people’s view of construction, but that image belies the truth behind the industry's impressive digital progress. In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead Matt Sharp, CDO at RLB, talks about how he launched his IT team as a separate digital consultancy to serve clients beyond constructio…

1
Joanna Drake: How THG Fixed its Frankenstack 18:24

7M ago18:24

18:24

In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Tom speaks with Joanna Drake, CIO and now also CTO at THG (The Hut Group), about the company’s radical IT modernisation journey. Facing rapid growth, fragmented storage, and escalating demands for AI and machine learning, Jo led a transformation of THG’s global infrastructure with zero downtime. She discusses the s…

1
How Cynergy Bank Is Balancing Brand, Tech and Trust with Martin Kennington, Director of Marketing & Customer 42:03

7M ago42:03

42:03

Send us a text Brand or performance? AI or human? Scale fast or build trust? Martin Kennington has been on both sides of the fintech marketing jungle—from scrappy startup content campaigns to boardroom brand pitches. Now at Cynergy Bank, he’s helping lead the charge as they scale into the mid-market without losing their identity. In this episode, M…

1
Alex Rutter: Transparency? Google’s Got It Covered 19:19

7M ago19:19

19:19

Every tech vendor is trying to crack AI, but does that match up to how it's being adopted on the ground? In this episode Tom and Alex Rutter of Google Cloud talk about the difference in approach from IT leaders - focusing on governance, compliance and integration - and business leaders - eager to move quickly and pushing for quick, transformative w…

1
Leon Butler: What’s Bubbling in IBM’s Beaker? 24:27

8M ago24:27

24:27

Leon Butler, IBM’s UK and Ireland CEO, explains why most generative AI models aren't fit for enterprise use and stresses the need for transparent, trusted systems. He also discusses how recent acquisitions - including HashiCorp and DataStax - support IBM’s push to automate enterprise IT. Leon talks about other key IT areas, like data sovereignty an…

1
Chris Betz: Why AWS Doesn’t Let AI Run the Show (Yet) 18:07

8M ago18:07

18:07

In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Tom speaks with AWS CISO Chris Betz about the evolving AI landscape and its implications for cybersecurity. They discuss the challenges and blind spots security leaders face with AI agents; the importance of proactive security measures, and the differences in AI security between public and private sectors. Betz, wh…

1
Financial Education & Building for the Self-Directed Investor with Amberly Jones, Head of Growth at Frec 32:49

8M ago32:49

32:49

Send us a text Direct indexing. Tax-loss harvesting. Capital gains strategy. Sounds niche, right? Not anymore. In this episode, Amberly Jones, Head of Growth at Frec, breaks down how they’re making a traditionally exclusive wealth strategy—direct indexing—accessible to a wider audience. From tackling financial education to layering in a light-touch…

1
Siobhan Wilson: Oracle's DIY AI 10:20

9M ago10:20

10:20

With AI agents taking over the world, Oracle's launch of AI Agent Studio last week is exceedingly timely. UK country leader Siobhan Wilson joins Tom at Oracle Cloudworld 2025 to explain how it works, who can use it, and what it means for IT teams. Siobhan also discusses Oracle’s $5 billion investment in UK cloud infrastructure, why demand for AI ag…

1
How Cheddar is Redefining Financial Inclusion with Luke Ladyman COO & Co-Founder of Cheddar 38:45

9M ago38:45

38:45

Send us a text In this episode, we sit down with Luke Ladyman, the COO & Co-Founder of Cheddar, to unpack the pivotal shifts, challenges, and innovative strategies behind building a successful FinTech startup. Originally launched as a peer-to-peer payments platform, Cheddar has evolved into a loyalty and rewards platform focused on financial inclus…

1
Martin Woodward: How Coding can Git Good 25:31

10M ago25:31

25:31

In this episode Tom talks to GitHub's VP of Developer Relations, Martin Woodward, about open source's evolving landscape and funding models, as well as the role of AI in software development. We dive deep into GitHub's Secure Open Source fund, the importance of financial sustainability for open source projects, and how AI tools like GitHub Copilot …

1
Javed Iqbal: Big Tobacco Meets Big Tech 17:53

10M ago17:53

17:53

A tobacco company that wants more regulation? Javed Iqbal, Director of Digital & Transformation at British American Tobacco, describes how clear rules, plus technology, can accelerate safer alternatives to smoking. He reveals how AI is driving breakthroughs in marketing insights, patent research and even tackling ESG issues like child labour; and d…

1
Cracking Crypto Growth with Imo Bábics Cheif Growth Office at Relai 40:06

10M ago40:06

40:06

Send us a text In this episode of The Fintech Marketers and Leaders podcast, we sit down with Imo Bábics, a fintech marketing veteran with over 15 years of experience, to discuss how to grow a fintech brand in the highly competitive and ever-evolving crypto space. From leading global marketing efforts for brands like Xbox, PlayStation, and EA to sp…

1
Perran Pengelly: A Shot to the Arm for the NHS 14:05

11M ago14:05

14:05

Healthcare has massive potential for tech-driven disruption, but adoption is - for good reason - cautious. In this episode Perran Pengelly, CTO of NHS partner DrDoctor, shares insights on the challenges and opportunities of modernising healthcare delivery. Perran explains the emerging model of hybrid healthcare, which could alleviate the mismatch b…

1
Karen Byer: The RISE of BRGs 17:22

11M ago17:22

17:22

In this episode Tom talks to Karen Byer, lead project manager and chair of UK RISE at PA Consulting, about business resource groups' role in fostering inclusive workplaces. Karen shares practical advice for IT leaders on how to support informal groups, develop impactful initiatives, and create environments where everyone thrives - all while balanci…

1
Mattie Toia: Black Friday and Beyond 17:33

12M ago17:33

17:33

The end of the year is peak sales time, extending from Black Friday in November to the sales in January. Mattie Toia, VP of infrastructure at ecommerce platform Shopify, explains how the platform handles this “peak of peaks." Tom and Mattie discuss the role of resilience, game-day simulations and the use of real-time data visualisation tools, as we…

1
Jonathan Armstrong: DORA the Enforcer 18:29

12M ago18:29

18:29

In this episode, legal expert Jonathan Armstrong of Punter Southall Law breaks down the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and its implications for financial services firms and their suppliers. Jonathan talks about DORA's key requirements, the challenges of cross-border compliance, and how CIOs can prepare for these sweeping changes across t…

1
Paul Williamson: Is Big AI Losing its Edge? 20:17

1y ago20:17

20:17

General purpose AI models are great if you want to discuss everything from geopolitics to baking with the same chatbot; but when you have hard limits on data and compute, you need a more focused system. Enter, small language models. This week Tom talks to Arm's Paul Williamson about what the rise of SLMs means for edge computing and the people who …

1
Richard Richison: RIP, MFA 11:30

1y ago11:30

11:30

Multifactor authentication is better than nothing, but is it really just a false sense of security? With attackers increasingly knowing how to break MFA, whether technically or through social engineering, director Richard Richison switched his entire company of 1,600 employees over to a phishing-resistant process relying on biometric security keys …

1
Mark Ridley & Andrew MacLaren: Return to office or return to sender? 30:36

1y ago30:36

30:36

Will Amazon's return-to-office mandate be a success, or will Andy Jassy's employees slap on a return label? Reed co-founder Mark Ridley and Dr Andrew MacLaren, Associate Professor of Team Communication at Heriot-Watt University, join Tom to talk all about the points for and against office vs remote work - and why hybrid might be not the perfect mid…

1
US Election Special, with Grant Neeley 29:28

1y ago29:28

29:28

What effect will a protectionist President have on the global tech sector? Professor Grant Neeley discusses Donald Trump's stance on tech issues from AI to immigration, and what we can expect from his historic second term. The incoming President is critical of regulation, but has spoken out against Big Tech. He is anti-China, but pro-TikTok. He wan…

1
Tom Clark: Behind the Buyout 16:01

1y ago16:01

16:01

Acquiring new companies is a popular way to grow quickly, but it brings a host of technical challenges: from finding the right company, to due diligence, and finally integrating their systems. In this episode Ardonagh Advisory CTO Tom Clark discusses the role tech leaders must play at every stage of the process to smoothly bring new companies on bo…

1
Clare Schramm: BT's power play 10:41

1y ago10:41

10:41

BT consumes about 1% of the UK's total power, a massive amount for a single company. In this episode Tom talks to Clare Schramm of BT's "internal hyperscaler," the cloud services division, about how they are reworking software, hardware and partnerships to slash energy use. Clare talks about how and why BT has written sustainability metrics into al…

1
Pankaj Kane: Build Upon an Engineering Star 21:25

1y ago21:25

21:25

Culture is one of the most difficult things to build, even for engineers. In this episode, Admiral's Chief Engineer Pankaj Kane talks about how he built an engineering-led culture, and why he's made sure to remain separate from it. Instilling a culture through one of the UK's largest insurers was no easy task, so Pankaj launched it using a common v…

1
David Green: Sensor and Sensibility 19:10

1+ y ago19:10

19:10

IoT sensors are common in infrastructure, but strangely rare in stately homes - where the predictive maintenance piece, at least, makes them incredibly well suited. Oxfordshire's Blenheim Estate, though, uses hundreds of sensors. I talked to Head of Innovation David Green about the organisation's modern approach. David explains how and why Blenheim…

1
Jeremy Cooper: Beating Burnout 24:20

1+ y ago24:20

24:20

IT professionals are perfectionists under pressure in a changing industry: a combination that leads to exhaustion, stress and burnout. In this episode, head of IT Jeremy Cooper tells Tom how he overcame the problem, and how he tackles it in his team. Jeremy talks candidly about his own experiences of burnout - from what caused it, to how it affecte…

1
The challenges and opportunities of rebranding, with Leah Glass, VP, Global Marketing at Convera 29:51

1+ y ago29:51

29:51

Send us a text Shameer sat down with Leah Glass, VP of Global Marketing @ Convera, to talk about how to navigate a rebrand. Before becoming Convera, the company was part of Western Union Business Solutions, a lesser-known division dedicated to b2b payments. Leah was first introduced to payments and fintech in her prior role at Amazon. At Convera, s…

1
The value of communications in driving business growth, with Valentina Kristensen, Corporate Affairs Director at OakNorth 46:33

1+ y ago46:33

46:33

Send us a text Valentina Kristensen, Corporate Affairs Director at OakNorth, talked about the value of communications in driving business growth in fintech. OakNorth was founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who had bad experiences trying to secure a loan for their company. The company has lent over 10 billion pounds to businesses across the U…

1
Bruna Pellicci: From Code to Counsel 9:51

1+ y ago9:51

9:51

Drowning in documents hundreds of pages long, the legal sector needs a safe, transparent way to speed up the way it works. Is generative AI, trained and prepared on legal data, the answer? In this episode Tom talks to Bruna Pellicci, CIO at Magic Circle law firm Linklaters, about how technology is changing the legal space and how her company built …

1
Marketing campaign evolution and embracing change, with Ian Roberts, Marketing Director, Direct Acquisition at Vitality 42:04

1+ y ago42:04

42:04

Send us a text Ian Roberts, Marketing Director, Direct Acquisition at Vitality, talked about campaign evolution and the importance of embracing change. A customer-led, commercially astute leader with over 25 years in financial services marketing — creating and delivering marketing strategies, propositions, and campaigns — he oversees all direct-to-…

1
Building genuinely disruptive products, with Chris Franklin, CMO at VibePay 41:25

1+ y ago41:25

41:25

Send us a text We had Chris Franklin, VibePay's CMO, talk about how this fintech builds products with the end user in mind. Fresh-faced in the FinTech space, Chris has a background in retail management. Tired of the 16-hour workday schedule, Chris took six months off to backpack in Asia and Australia and returned with a desire to get into Marketing…

1
Sarah Milton-Hunt: Ready for Renewables (And AI) 17:26

1+ y ago17:26

17:26

The National Grid was built on infrastructure laid in the 1950s. Now, as the UK's energy sector changes, CIO Sarah Milton-Hunt and her team are replacing that legacy with modern tools to last the next 70 years. Sarah talks about the factors affecting the modern utilities sector, like datacentre growth and the move to renewables, and how digital and…

1
Adapting to the new Content Marketing landscape with Loïs Mills, Senior Content Lead at Yonder 46:20

1+ y ago46:20

46:20

Send us a text We had the lovely Loïs Mills, Senior Content Lead at Yonder, chat about the role of content marketing in today’s day and age. Loïs tried the corporate and entrepreneurship life before making her way into the startup life, which she calls “not the straightforward journey.” Currently the Senior Content Lead at Yonder, she aspires to es…

1
How to craft authentic brand narratives, with Toni Gregory, Head of Content Marketing at GoCardless 38:45

1+ y ago38:45

38:45

Send us a text Toni Gregory, Head of Content Marketing at GoCardless, shared some inspiring insights on crafting authentic brand narratives. Toni’s career has been blooming at GoCardless. She rose from Content Marketing Manager to Head of Content Marketing and is currently ensuring all content marketers are aligned while overseeing the brand strate…

1
Election Special with Mark Ridley 35:34

1+ y ago35:34

35:34

Labour has won a thumping majority in the 2024 general election. Mark Ridley, fractional CIO and technical co-founder of Reed.co.uk, joins Tom to talk about what it means for the tech sector. What did Labour promise in its manifesto - and more importantly, what did it leave out? Tom and Mark talk about where the new government is likely to focus it…

1
Matt Grest: AI, Fast Followers and Shadow IT 22:43

1+ y ago22:43

22:43

AI, especially gen-AI, is all the rage. In this episode Tom talks to ex-Very Group CIO Matt Grest about how the online retailer implemented it - and why - at scale. Matt talks about how he successfully adopted gen-AI, how he brought colleagues along for the ride, and how IT leaders can clamp down on AI shadow IT. Become a member of Computing today …

1
Lesley Salmon: Spinning Up, Spinning Out 25:09

1+ y ago25:09

25:09

A spin-out can be the defining moment of a leader's career. In this first episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Tom Allen talks to Kellanova CDIO Lesley Salmon about the successful split from cereal giant Kellogg's. Lesley talks about how to spin out successfully, the pain points she encountered, and how she overcame them - plus, her thoughts on the AI revolut…

1
How to Scale Fintech Products for Explosive Growth, with Ishita Sinha, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Upgrade, Inc. 29:26

2y ago29:26

29:26

Send us a text Ishita Sinha, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Upgrade, Inc., shared her user acquisition secrets for scaling fintech products and achieving growth. Before moving to FinTech, Ishita was in EdTech, teaching Google Ads for Beginners at the Coursera Project Network, where she reached 110K+ learners. A marketer with deep consumer empat…

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Cynergy Bank Podcasts

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