The Financial Technology Report with RJ Lumba

Mission-Critical Software: Finastra’s Chris Walters

Welcome to The Financial Technology Report, a leading information source on financial technology companies and solutions. In this episode, we speak with Chris Walters, CEO of Finastra, a financial services software provider across lending, payments, treasury and capital markets, and digital and retail banking. Finastra serves roughly 7,000+ customers worldwide, including about 80% of the world’s top 50 banks, and supports large-scale financial workflows—helping move about $7 trillion in transactions per day and supporting syndicated lending activity measured in the trillions.  The company’s portfolio spans core platforms that financial institutions rely on to run lending operations, process payments, and modernize banking services through cloud and open technology. Chris became CEO in January 2025 after serving as CEO of Pluralsight and CEO of Avantax. Earlier, he held senior operating roles including COO of Bloomberg’s Industry Verticals Group and COO of The Weather Company. Chris supports Year Up. To learn more about this organization click here [https://www.yearup.org/]. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.

An AI Network For Credit Access: Pagaya’s Sanjiv Das

Welcome to The Financial Technology Report, a leading information source on financial technology companies and solutions. In this episode, we speak with Sanjiv Das, Co-Founder and President of Pagaya, a financial technology company that enables financial institutions to expand access to more customers through an artificial intelligence network. Pagaya evaluates and approves loan applications in real time on behalf of banks and lenders, and pairs that underwriting with a funding solution that can move approved loans off a partner’s balance sheet. Sanjiv joined Pagaya as President in 2023 and oversees strategy and growth across the company’s commercial business, including its single-family rental business and Darwin subsidiary. He brings more than 30 years of experience across consumer banking and capital markets, including CEO roles at Caliber Home Loans and Citi’s mortgage division, and senior leadership positions at First Data, Morgan Stanley, American Express, and Bank of America. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.

Real-Time Life Insurance Underwriting: Ladder’s Jamie Hale

Welcome to The Financial Technology Report, a leading information source on financial technology companies and solutions. In this episode, we speak with Jamie Hale, CEO and Co-Founder of Ladder, an insurtech company focused on making life insurance faster and easier to purchase online. Ladder offers a digital application experience built around speed and simplicity, with real-time underwriting that can result in on-the-spot coverage and a process designed to be completed from home. Jamie co-founded Ladder in 2015 after a career spanning investing and financial services, including roles as a founding partner at Aldenwood Capital and as a partner at Oak Hill Investment Management. Earlier, he worked on new product development at NextCard. Jamie supports CASA. To learn more about this organization click here [https://nationalcasagal.org/]. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.

Embedded Life Insurance: Covr’s Sam Barnett

Welcome to The Financial Technology Report, a leading information source on financial technology companies and solutions. In this episode, we speak with Sam Barnett, CEO of Covr Financial Technologies, an insurtech company that provides a digital insurance platform through financial institutions and other national partners. Covr’s embedded technology helps financial advisors and their clients research and purchase life insurance from top-rated carriers through a streamlined digital process. Sam was appointed CEO in January 2026 after more than two decades in insurance distribution and growth leadership. His background includes senior roles at Lincoln Financial and Global Atlantic/KKR, and most recently he served as CEO of VIBE Insurance. Sam supports St. Jude Children's Hospital. To learn more about this organization click here [https://www.stjude.org/]. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.

Multi-Asset Private Investing: Crowd Street’s John Imbriglia

Welcome to The Financial Technology Report, a leading information source on financial technology companies and solutions. In this episode, we speak with John Imbriglia, CEO of Crowd Street, a platform for direct-access private market investing. Crowd Street has more than 300,000 members and over $4 billion of platform assets, and has expanded beyond its roots in commercial real estate to offer fund-based access across private equity, private credit, venture capital, and real estate. The company has also built partnerships to support manager due diligence and broaden its offering set for self-directed accredited investors. John became CEO in 2024 after more than two decades working across fintech, private markets, and wealth platforms. He was previously a general partner at Platform Capital Management and a managing director at iCapital, where he was one of the firm’s first employees. John supports StreetSquash [https://streetsquash.org/] and CitySquash [https://citysquash.org/]. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.