Building Connections: People, Technology, and Financial Services
In this episode of One Vision, host Theo welcomes Pamela Villanova, VP of Digital Banking at American Eagle Financial Credit Union. They discuss the credit union's major milestone in conducting a digital banking conversion and the multi-year journey it entailed. Pam shares insights into the strategic focus they adopted, emphasizing user experience, data utilization, and the importance of partnerships. The conversation also delves into broader industry trends, such as the rapid adoption of AI and blockchain, and the importance of human connection and adaptability in the face of accelerating change. Tune in to learn about the future of digital banking and how to balance the diverse member needs and innovation.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:17 Digital Banking Conversion Journey04:01 Strategic Focus and Challenges06:56 Lessons Learned and Industry Insights10:44 Balancing Member Needs and Innovation19:28 Future Challenges and Opportunities30:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts/#AI #FinancialServices #BankingIndustry #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #CreditUnion 📍 Hot take: "Don't hide our heads in the sand 'cause that's not gonna help anyone. Be flexible. Understand the pulse of what's going on in our industry and in our communities, and react to it positively."Find Pamela Villanova on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-villanova/ Find Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🔗My latest book: Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence: https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🔗About Unconventional Ventures and the One Vision Podcast: https://www.unconventionalventures.com/
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We use the term workflow Dr Simon Wallace, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Microsoft UK and Ireland
Microsoft recently launched Dragon Copilot, a next-generation AI clinical assistant designed to transform how clinicians manage time-consuming administrative tasks - from documentation and referrals to after-visit summaries. By streamlining workflows and integrating seamlessly with electronic patient records (EPRs), it frees up valuable time for what matters most: patient care.The technology combines fine-tuned generative AI with Dragon Medical One’s speech capabilities and the ambient AI of Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX). It comes at a time when a Microsoft-commissioned report revealed that 40% of patients have experienced consultations where clinicians appeared too focused on their screens to fully engage. To find out more about Dragon Copilot I spoke to Dr Simon Wallace, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Microsoft UK and Ireland.Dr Wallace talks about his background, what Dragon Copilot does, the benefits of using Dragon Copilot and more.More about Dr Simon Wallace:Dr Simon Wallace is a medical doctor specialising in GP, hospital, and public health care with over 20 years of experience in healthcare transformation. He currently serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) and Director of Business Strategy for Microsoft UK & Ireland, where he leads the integration of health-tech innovations—especially AI and conversational systems—into clinical workflows.
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Dublin Drone Delivery Revolution Reaches Austrian Radio
Earlier this autumn Billy Lenihan spoke with ORF Radio Austria for their technology programme Digital.Leben about something that has already become part of everyday life in parts of Dublin – coffee, books and takeaways delivered by drone. The short feature, broadcast on 29 October 2025, explored how Irish company Manna has turned what began as a pilot project into a real delivery service.The interview came about after meeting Franz Zeller, Head of Science at Austrian public radio ORF, during Maker Faire Rome 2025. I was in Rome reporting for Irish Tech News, part of an international press delegation supported by the Italian Trade Agency and Innova Camera, the Rome Chamber of Commerce agency that organises the fair.
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Sepa Instant Payments insights Donal McGuinness, CEO of Prommt
SEPA Instant payments will allow personal and business customers to make a euro payment within ten seconds, 24 hours a day. In tandem with this, Verification of Payee (VoP) will also be introduced for both SEPA Instant and standard SEPA payments. The services are being introduced as part of the EU's Instant Payments Regulation and will come into effect from 9 October 2025. While the benefits of faster transactions and enhanced security are obvious, there may be some teething problems in the initial stages. Uneven rollout across Irish banks may cause short-term confusion or fragmented service, and VoP does not entirely eliminate scams or social-engineering risks. To find out more about this I caught up with Donal McGuinness, CEO of Prommt who was a guest on the podcast last year.Donal talks about his background, faster payments, and older demographics.More about Donal McGuinessSerial entrepreneur Donal McGuinness is CEO of Prommt. He studied Computer Science at DCU and Telecommunications Engineering at DIT and spent the early years of his career in the telecommunications industry. His experience in mobile payments dates to 1999 when he founded his first mobile payments company, ItsMobile. Donal was also a Non-Executive Director of the Irish Internet Association from 2009 to 2011 and a movie distribution business from 2002 to 2020.In 2016 Donal joined a silicon valley startup in the identity verification space called Danal inc, where he set up and grew the global business outside of the USA as General Manager of EMEA until 2019 when the business was acquired by Boku Inc for $112 million USD. Donal joined Prommt as CEO in 2019. He is an innovator and is passionate about payment innovation.
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Making financial protection more accessible
In this episode of One Vision, Theo is joined by Alex Matjanec, founder and CEO of Wysh, and Jim Perry, an advocate for financial inclusivity. The trio delve into how institutions can offer real value and build trust with customers by embedding financial protection into everyday banking. Jim and Alex also discuss the broader implications of financial literacy and the efforts of The National Alliance for Financial Literacy and Inclusion (NAFLI) to bridge gaps in financial education. Innovation and inclusion aren't separate paths — tune in and be inspired to go beyond good. 00:00 Founder’s Inspiration05:48 The Importance of Embedded Insurance27:59 The Role of Financial Literacy and Inclusion34:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts📍Hot Take: “There's so much more that could be done to improve the financial wellness of consumers around the United States and around the world.”#FinancialServices #BankingIndustry #FinancialInclusion #TechForGood #EmbeddedFinance Find Alex Matjanec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmatjanec/ Find Jim Perry on on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasperry/ 🔗About Wysht: https://venturebeat.com/author/louis-columbus 🔗About NAFLI: https://www.nafli.org/ Find Theodora Lau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodoralau/ 🔗My latest book: Banking on (Artificial) Intelligence: https://www.bankingonaibook.com/ 🔗About Unconventional Ventures and the One Vision Podcast: https://www.unconventionalventures.com/
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