In the Hot Seat

About In the Hot Seat

(Fin)tech uncensored! We ask tech leaders the questions you always wanted to ask – not shying away from the tough issues and taboos. Issuer processor Enfuce's Co-Founder and Co-CEO Denise Johansson puts industry leaders in the hot seat, for the hot topics on everyone's minds from how not to F#ck up compliance, make ESG actually matter, real talk on being a female founder, and more. Expect the unexpected alongside Denise's trademark candor and wit.

Publisher

Enfuce

Category

business · technology

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

3 Jul 2023

Latest episode

9 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Apr 2026

   Loyalty Reimagined with Starling Bank: Closing the Gap Between Payments and Customer Experience

   Customer loyalty is much more than points and perks. Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling Bank, jumps in the Hot Seat to discuss how data-driven intelligence is redefining what it means to build trust in financial services. We explore where traditional banks go wrong, how customer understanding can reshape engagement, and why digital design and personalisation now determine retention. This episode is about turning data into meaningful, measurable relationships. Key Takeaways. [:01] Denise Johansson puts Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling Bank, in the hot seat. [3:52] Ruwani introduces herself and explains why this topic resonates with her so much. [4:58] What is loyalty? Ruwani offers an example of how Starling stepped up to protect a customer and create a new gold standard. [6:38] Using customer data to get to know them is one thing, but finding ways to support them with this information may be key to building loyalty and trust. [8:52] Loyalty isn't transactional; anchoring the data with the relevant needs and providing seamless experiences will go a long way to providing services that customers will be loyal to. [10:44] Ruwani explains how to retain customers in a world where switching is really easy and why working with partners can also help drive trust and loyalty. [11:28] Credit or Insta? How engaging different generations requires entirely different strategies. [14:01] How companies outside of the financial sector are building trust and loyalty. [15:07] UX and UI are super important; Ruwani touches on the tech she thinks is critical to engagement. [16:44] Ruwani offers ways to track customer engagement within your loyalty programs. [19:10] What the loyalty and financial services landscape will look like in the coming years. [21:25] How AI fits into the loyalty landscape. [22:22] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat. People. Guest Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling Bank, one of the UK's most innovative digital banks, changing banking for good. Host Denise Johansson, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Enfuce (https://enfuce.com/), a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion. Links. Starling Bank Enfuce Guest Quotes (edited). Banks are sitting on this gold mine of data to actually really understand the customer and customer segments. We can see life stages and different changes in someone's life based on what's happening in the account. — Ruwani Hewa, Starling Bank, InTheHotSeat Instant gratification is super important: I don't want to be saving for points for four years only to get like a gift voucher for 10 pounds, right? — Ruwani Hewa, Starling Bank, InTheHotSeat Loyalty is not just about points and cash back. — Ruwani Hewa, Starling Bank, InTheHotSeat Talk to your customers. Understand what they want. Understand what actually excites them, then provide and actually meet their emotional needs. — Ruwani Hewa, Starling Bank, InTheHotSeat Younger generations don't like credit. They would rather have more experience-based things and stuff they can post on Instagram. — Ruwani Hewa, Starling Bank, InTheHotSeat Denise Quotes (edited). How do banks actually build loyalty? What makes someone stay, trust you, and choose you, especially when switching banks is easier than ever? — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat Loyalty isn't built by offering more points or shouting louder than the next bank. It's built by being useful at the right moment, when it actually makes a difference. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat Two-thirds of customers feel more positive about a brand because of its loyalty program. At the same time, engagement is failing. So we are great at signups, but not so great at keeping people active and loyal, especially in banking. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat Most consumers want personalized rewards, but less than half of brands deliver them. So customers are clear about the value exchange they want, and are happy to provide the data, but services are not coming to them. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat

2. 

   18 Dec 2025

   Embedded Finance, The Real Impact: How Embedded Finance is Redefining Financial Services From The Inside Out

   When payments disappear, the real competition begins, for trust, attention, and loyalty. In this episode of In the Hot Seat, Denise Johansson is joined by Emelie Eriksson, Head of SEB Embedded, for a rapid-fire deep dive into the future of embedded finance. From the weight of legacy systems to the risks and rewards of giving up control, they explore why embedded finance is more than a product shift — it's a full-blown strategic reset. Tune in for sharp takes on trust, regulation, and the partnerships redefining financial services from the inside out. Key Takeaways. [:01] Denise Johansson puts Emelie Eriksson, Head of SEB Embedded in the hot seat. [2:42] Emelie touches on the difference between embedded payment and banking as a service. [3:38] Large, well-established institutions may have a hard time letting go of control to make the shift to embedded finance. [4:50] Complementation over competition is the key to an embedded future, according to Emelie. [6:35] Inviting compliance has been pivotal in shaping SEB's success. [7:37] Emelie breaks down what being embedded-ready actually means. [10:29] Upcoming regulation will likely dictate how the embedded finance models evolve and how big a role traditional banks will have. [12:00] Without taking care of the whole issue, embedded finance does open new doors and offer opportunities to shape fairer financial ecosystems. [13:16] The next chapter of embedded finance! [14:22] Emelie shares her trends to look to in the coming year. [15:21] Customer expectations have been shifting rapidly, and they are becoming more discerning and specific about their needs. [16:36] Emelie sees customer loyalty as a driver for better and better services. [18:08] The threat — and benefits — of AI. [19:32] Regulatory futures are always uncertain! [20:26] Emelie touches on a few possible unintended consequences of embedded finance; confusion could lead to reputational issues. [22:04] Defining successful partnerships in the embedded finance ecosystem. [22:40] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat. People. Guest Emelie Eriksson, Head of SEB Embedded, positively shaping the future by enabling people and businesses with responsible advice and capital. Host Denise Johansson, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Enfuce (https://enfuce.com/), a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion. Links. SEB Embedded (https://sebgroup.com) Enfuce Guest Quotes (edited). If you want to go into embedded finance, you need to accept handing control over the user experience to another partner. For some, customer contact is so important that it may be hard to let go, but if they don't, someone else will take over that customer relationship. — Emelie Eriksson, SEB Embedded, InTheHotSeat One reason why some haven't been able to leap into user experience is that they might be bound by legacy tech. — Emelie Eriksson, SEB Embedded, InTheHotSeat Embedded finance from the consumer side of things has to be at "point-of-need," at "point-in-time." This general expectation has been raising the bar over the last 10 years and will continue to do so. — Emelie Eriksson, SEB Embedded, InTheHotSeat When it comes to brand loyalty, if we don't provide good things, people will leave and go to someone else. And I think that's the benefit of an open market from the consumer side of things. — Emelie Eriksson, SEB Embedded, InTheHotSeat Denise Quotes (edited). It might not be your bank's logo sitting at the front of that experience, and that's the whole point. Embedded finance is the engine backstage, powering the apps and companies people already trust. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat Embedded is more or less how finance now works in the digital era from a consumer perspective. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat It has to be accepted, starting in the boardroom, that we are walking into a new area. We will have to find a way to still be relevant in the coming decades. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat We've talked about legacy banks taking leaps for 10 plus years already. But most banks started those projects by looking at how to reshape their infrastructures as opposed to starting from scratch. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat We are increasing financial accessibility, but exclusion is still a lot about regulations. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat

3. 

   19 Nov 2025

   Rethinking Financial Inclusion with Alessandro Hatami

   Inclusion isn't just a moral imperative; it's a huge economic opportunity.  Alessandro Hatami from Pacemakers.io joins the hot seat to discuss how a large portion of the population remains outside the financial system despite advances in technology. Alessandro highlights how providers can gain new customers and fuel growth by removing outdated barriers and more actively serving the underbanked. Key Takeaways. [:01] Denise Johansson puts Alessandro Hatami, fintech advisor, thought leader, founder of Pacemakers.io, and co-author of the book Inclusive Finance, in the hot seat. [2:27] Why Alessandro chose to delve into the field of financial exclusion. [3:27] The three dimensions of ending financial exclusion: social, economic growth, and revenue. [4:56] While moral imperatives drive most individuals, corporations are moved by other factors entirely. [6:19] Who are the financially excluded? Alessandro breaks down the two large aspects of who is being kept at a distance and why. [8:00] Legacy issues remain the largest barrier to financial exclusion; Alessandro explains why. [9:31] Unbanked and underbanked are two categories of people dealing with unique sets of exclusionary issues. [12:18] The examples of New Bank Brazil and HSBC in the UK. [14:41] What governments — and users — can do to foster financial inclusion. [16:59] Alessandro offers his perspective on the current government initiatives and how words don't often turn into action. [19:07] M-PESA in Kenya and Tanzania is a great example of how technology and some corporate open-mindedness can create a positive and innovative impact. [20:34] Alessandro speaks to new technologies and their potential for improving global financial inclusion. [22:26] Can regulation really help? Alessandro offers some thoughts and a few paths to explore. [23:55] Alessandro shares his parting thoughts. [24:38] Denise signs out until the next time she puts an industry leader in the hot seat. People. Guest Alessandro Hatami, founder of Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), delivering effective, profitable, and sustainable transformation in finance. Host Denise Johansson, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Enfuce (https://enfuce.com/), a female-founded fintech helping drive business growth, solve customer challenges, and extend financial inclusion. Links. Pacemakers.io Inclusive Finance: How Fintech and Innovation Can Transform Financial Inclusion Enfuce Guest Quotes (edited). We are treating a very large number of the population of the world, close to a billion people, in a way that they should not be. They should have access to services and products that improve their lives. And we're denying them for reasons that are not really real. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat The moral imperative is what drives many of us, but ultimately, corporations, even though they're run by people, are financially motivated. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat Financial exclusion is a two-dimensional thing. There's the legacy issues dimension based on requirements and technological limitations that are no longer there, and there's an educational dimension: explaining to people that banks are not there to take advantage of you. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat Because of digital transformation, the cash economy is disappearing. Living based on cash exchanges is becoming increasingly impossible and increasingly expensive. So people are being squeezed out. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat The dialogue between the end user and the financial provider should be more interactive than it is right now. That would create an opportunity for people who are underbanked to benefit, and for providers to find new customer bases. It's a win-win situation. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat There could be elements that allow you to open a bank account without having to provide full authentication until you exceed certain limits. And that's something that regulators can be very proactive about. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat If you look at Europe and Scandinavia, financial exclusion is close to zero. And why is that? It's because the governments have said, OK, everybody gets an ID at the point of birth. — Alessandro Hatami (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aehatami), Pacemakers.io, InTheHotSeat I want the large corporations and the providers of services to realize that they're truly leaving money on the table by not serving the segment. — Alessandro Hatami, Pacemakers.io (http://pacemakers.io), InTheHotSeat Denise Quotes (edited). Let's try to understand what exclusion actually means, because financial exclusion affects people differently around the world. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat Many existing banks say that ensuring more financial inclusion is easy when you start from scratch and reach your target group. Will there be more push from governments to get us there? — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat The UK financial authority is overseeing that those bringing financial products to the market should be clear and accessible. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat I saw that there are approximately 1.7 billion unbanked today; out of these, approximately 1.1 billion have mobile phones. — Denise Johansson, InTheHotSeat

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,854

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

73

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

27

Contact In the Hot Seat

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.