Embedded finance and AI in payments w/ Ruwani Hewa (Starling) | PMP S1 E2

Embedded finance and AI in payments w/ Ruwani Hewa (Starling) | PMP S1 E2

In this episode of The People Making Payments Podcast, Shona sits down with Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling, to explore two themes reshaping how payments are being built and delivered today: embedded finance and AI. They start with embedded finance 👇 ➡️ What it actually means and why it’s been around longer than most people think ➡️ How it has evolved from simple use cases into more sophisticated, data-driven propositions ➡️ Where it’s creating real value today, from consumer experiences through to SME financing ➡️ And what this shift means for how providers differentiate in an increasingly competitive market From there, they move into AI in payments 🤖 ➡️ Where AI has already been delivering value behind the scenes ➡️ How it’s now moving closer to the customer experience ➡️ The emerging role of AI in areas like fraud, decisioning, and financial management ➡️ And why the real challenge isn’t the technology but identifying the problems it should solve Plus, we learn what Ruwani would be doing if she wasn't in payments 🕵️‍♀️ If you work in payments, fintech, or financial services,  this episode offers a clear, practical perspective on where these trends are genuinely delivering impact, and where the industry still has work to do.

Digital currencies & the developing payments ecosystem dynamics w/ Andrea Cillara Rossi (Mastercard) | PMP S1 E1

In this episode of The People Making Payments Podcast, Shona sits down with Andrea Cillara Rossi, VP Consumer Products and Processing at Mastercard, to unpack two of the biggest forces shaping the future of payments: digital currencies and the evolving ecosystem dynamics. We start by exploring the reality behind digital currencies 👇 ➡️ What we actually mean by digital currencies ➡️ Where real-world use cases are emerging today ➡️ The biggest barriers to adoption — and what needs to change ➡️ How to cut through the hype and focus on what really matters From there, we zoom out to look at the payments ecosystem 🌍 ➡️ How collaboration and competition are reshaping the industry ➡️ Whether fintechs have truly disrupted traditional players ➡️ What the ecosystem could look like in five years ➡️ Practical advice for navigating and succeeding in this space Plus, we get to know Andrea a little better in our quickfire round ⚡ If you work in payments, fintech, or financial services — this episode is packed with insight to help you make better decisions in a rapidly changing landscape.

INTRODUCING...The People Making Payments Podcast 🎤

Welcome to The People Making Payments Podcast - a brand-new show designed to help people working in payments identify the most significant developments shaping the industry and understand how to best anticipate, and act, on them. In each episode Shona Sabah will be sitting down with a senior payments leader for an honest and open conversation about how they’re interpreting key shifts and trends, the impact they’re seeing in their roles, and the practical advice and they'd give to others in similar positions. Recorded in our Central London studio, every conversation will balance professional insight with candid personal perspective and aims to be inspiring, educational and insightful in equal measure... Episode 1 is coming soon 👀

How insights teams can deliver at speed without sacrificing quality.

In today’s episode — originally written as an article by Prithweesh De — we’re talking about one of the biggest challenges facing insight teams inside banks and payments companies: delivering fast without sacrificing quality.

2026 and beyond: What does agentic AI mean for the future of payments orchestration?

In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Shona Sabah — we’re exploring one of the most important and fast-moving developments in the payments industry: how agentic AI is changing the way transactions are routed, approved, and optimised, and what it means for merchants, consumers, and payment providers.