Heads Talk ®

• 278 - Stela Willemstein, H, D: Money 2020 Riyadh Series: UBS - New Capital Frontier & The Forces Reshaping Regional Finance

  Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title:🇨🇭New Capital Frontier & The Forces Reshaping Regional Finance🇨🇭 Brought to you live from Money20/20 Riyadh, this  Heads Talk® episode features Guest Host Sanjiv Purushotham, CEO of Bridge Solutions, in conversation with Stela Willemstein, Group Risk Control at UBS.They sit down for a dynamic discussion on the Middle East’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, moving from participant to global powerhouse. And explore Saudi Arabia’s transformation in technology, culture, and industry, the rise of next-generation fintech, and reforms reshaping banking, compliance, and risk. From combating illicit money flows to opportunities in open banking, AI-driven personalisation, and RegTech, this conversation highlights a financial ecosystem in motion and increasingly central to the world’s capital future.Stela brings deep expertise in digital initiatives, credit-risk policy, and global wealth-management governance, with senior roles at UBS, Credit Suisse, and over a decade at ING across Europe and the US. She blends technical rigor with behavioural insight and a focus on positive impact, representing a new generation of risk leaders who combine innovation, integrity, and cross-border experience.Topics Covered:◽️Middle East’s rise as a global financial hub and impact on capital flows◽️Saudi Arabia’s transformation in tech, fintech, and financial infrastructure◽️Strengthening AML frameworks and managing illicit money movement◽️Closing Infrastructure Gaps to Scale Open Banking and Interoperable Financial Services◽️Wealth management evolution for Millennial and Gen Z investors◽️Regional Fintech Innovation, Expansion & Cross-Border Opportunities With Africa◽️AI-driven personalisation and human-in-the-loop decision models◽️RegTech, cybersecurity, and digital risk management priorities◽️Key insights from Money 2020 Riyadh and regional fintech strategySo download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Mocha Chai Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋Episode Sponsored by◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟Ronit's Book hereABOUT THE HOST#AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #HeadsTalkPodcastSupport the showFollow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at [email protected]

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• 277 - Stan Sthanunathan, Executive Chairman: i-Genie.AI Inc - Symbiotic Intelligence

  Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title: 🇺🇸Symbiotic Intelligence🇺🇸We have a timely and thought-provoking discussion for you today on Heads Talk®. There’s been a lot of noise lately, headlines, commentary and opinion pieces; all circling the question: 𝔸𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕟 𝔸𝕀 𝕓𝕦𝕓𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕥? Everyone seems to have a view, so I wanted to bring in someone with gravitas who truly sits at the intersection of experience and innovation. someone who has seen the cycles, the hype, and the real potential of this technology.My guest today is Stan Sthanunathan, a seasoned insights and marketing leader with a truly global perspective, known for redefining how some of the world’s most recognised brands understand consumers. With a career spanning The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever, where he served as Executive Vice President of Consumer & Market Insights until 2021 , Stan came out of retirement to found i-Genie.AI, an enterprise bringing real-time, AI-powered insights to business leaders worldwide.In this episode, we looked at the current state of AI: is it reaching a saturation point, or are we only scratching the surface and at the beginning? Is this “bubble” narrative overblown, or are we edging toward a market correction? And, of course, I couldn’t resist throwing in a few philosophical questions about humanity’s relationship with AI, our level of control, and the broader meaning of innovation itself. I loved this exchange; it was sharp, grounded, and occasionally existential. Pretty much how we like it here on Heads Talk®.Expect a dynamic conversation that bridges business, technology, and the human condition. Topics Covered:◽️ AI hallucination and the fight for data truth◽️ The human in the loop and the ethics of agentic intelligence◽️ Turning AI insights into business action at speed and scale◽️ Storytelling, intuition and the enduring human edge in a data-saturated world◽️ Whispers of an AI bubble and the geopolitics of the US–China AI race◽️ Designing AI that teaches humans to think better, not less◽️ Balancing algorithmic efficiency with democratic deliberation◽️ The next decade of human–machine collaboration and causal AI ◽️ The New Chief Meaning OfficerSo download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peppy Mint Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋Episode Brought to you by◽️i-Genie.AI - 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕊𝕦𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕪𝕤 𝕠𝕣 𝔽𝕠𝕔𝕦𝕤 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕤ABOUT THE HOST#AFlyOnTheBoardroomWallSupport the showFollow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at [email protected]

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• 276 - Ralf Germer, CEO: BRICS Series, PagBrasil - The Pix Paradox: Small Transactions, Global Ripples

  Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title: 🇧🇷The Pix Paradox: Small Transactions, Global Ripples🇧🇷This episode is a crossover, a hybrid, a merger of the two concurrent series running on Heads Talk®: the BRICS & Geopolitics Series and the Money 2020 Riyadh Conversations. Consider it killing two birds with one stone, bringing together insights from global geopolitics and the forefront of fintech innovation. I had the privilege of hosting this installment as my personal contribution to the Money 2020 Riyadh series, capturing perspectives from a pivotal moment on the global stage, with Brazil very much on the map today where we unpack the 'Pix Paradox'.A truly fascinating discussion. We looked at the quiet revolution of Pix, Brazil’s digital payments innovation, which is transforming the country’s spending culture while sending ripples across the globe. What began as small, everyday transactions has grown into a force reshaping money and commerce, connecting local merchants to international markets, and redefining financial inclusion across LATAM and beyond. From Pix Roaming to recurring payments, we trace how Brazil’s ingenuity is influencing global payment infrastructures, showing that digital finance is not just a tool for transactions, it's so much more than money. They are instruments, if you like, of connection, opportunity, and soft power. Though my guest would argue that it's less about politics and more about business. Listen for that bit of the conversation/argument! I was completely captivated by the story of Brazil’s digital payments revolution and taken aback but the insights delivered by today's guest. Ralf Germer, the CEO of PagBrasil, Brazil’s leading payments technology company, joins me in this fascinating series. With a career spanning international business development, product marketing, and entrepreneurship, Ralf has been at the forefront of reshaping Brazil’s payments landscape. Under his leadership, PagBrasil has pioneered innovations like PagStream, International Pix, and Pix Roaming. Tools that are connecting local merchants to global markets and advancing financial inclusion.Topics Covered:◽️ Brazil’s digital payments revolution and the rise of Pix◽️ PagBrasil’s role in connecting local merchants to global markets◽️ Cross-border innovation and the expansion of Pix Roaming◽️ Economic and social impact of Pix Automático on recurring payments◽️ BRICS Pay and Brazil’s influence in shaping new payment infrastructures◽️ Geopolitics of payments and financial diplomacy in emerging markets◽️ Balancing sovereignty and openness in national payment systems◽️ Future of digital payments, from embedded finance to programmable money◽️ Payments as soft power in the global digital economyEpisode Sponsored by◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟ABOUT THE HOSTSupport the showFollow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at [email protected]

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• 275 - Ronit Ghose, H, TL: Money 2020 Riyadh Series: CitiGroup - The Bridges We Build, The Capital We Connect

  Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title:🇦🇪The Bridges We Build, The Capital We Connect🇦🇪 This is the second episode in the special Heads Talk® series, brought to you live from Money20/20 Riyadh. It’s another engaging conversation that feels more like two industry peers catching up over a cup of tea, part strategic dialogue, part fireside reflection. Where innovation meets insight Sanjiv Purushotham, CEO of Bridge Solutions and our  Heads Talk® Guest Host for this series, sits down with Ronit Ghose, Global Head of the Future of Finance at Citi, where he leads the bank’s think tank on the intersection of money, technology, and digital transformation.With over two decades at Citi, Ronit has been at the forefront of analysing fintech disruption, digital assets, AI-driven finance, and the evolving identity of global financial hubs.Together, they discuss the new bridges being built across the financial world, the connections being made and solidified between East and West, legacy and innovation, technology and trust.Topics Covered:◽️ Evolution of Fintech and the Global Flow of Capital◽️ Financial Bridges Between Emerging and Established Markets◽️ Riyadh’s Role in the Next Generation of Global Financial Hubs◽️ Digital Banking and the Architecture of Connectivity◽️ Lessons from The Godfather - Kenya’s Mobile Payments Revolution◽️ The Interplay Between Innovation, Regulation and Market Trust◽️ Building Financial Bridges Across the Global South◽️ Future Money: Insights from Ronit’s Book on Fintech, AI and Web3◽️ Economics of Great Cities and How They Shape Finance◽️ Meaningful Finance: Reimagining Value Beyond TransactionsSo download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Mocha Chai Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋Episode Sponsored by◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟Ronit's Book hereABOUT THE HOST#AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #HeadsTalkPodcastSupport the showFollow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at [email protected]

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• 274 - Erik Solheim, Chief Negotiator, Diplomat, Minister, Political Figure: BRICS Series, Norway Government & Multiple Boards - Green Realpolitik in a Fatherless World

  Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title: 🇳🇴Green Realpolitik in a Fatherless World🇳🇴We continue the BRICS & Geopolitics Series on Heads Talk® with a former Norwegian Government Minister, now a renowned political commentator, green advocate, veteran Chief Negotiator and Diplomat to explore the world’s shifting balance of power.My guest, Erik Solheim, is a statesman who has shaped landmark environmental laws, led peace talks across continents, and driven global reform from Oslo to Nairobi. He served as the sixth Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, leaving a lasting imprint on international environmental policy. Today, as President of the Belt & Road Green Development Initiative, he sits at the nexus of diplomacy, sustainability, and geopolitics. Together, we discuss the evolving relationship between the US and BRICS nations, with focus on China and India , including what can only be termed as a “marriage of convenience” between the two, and where that partnership may lead. We also discussed how environmental diplomacy is becoming the new language of power, how everything is diplomacy, and what a “fatherless world” really means for the global order.Such a fascinating hour with my guest. Recorded just after that infamous Global South summit and the European leaders’ meeting with the US President. We’ve already agreed there’s much more to come, so look out for another conversation with Erik soon...Topics Covered:◽️ Green Diplomacy and the rise of sustainable Statecraft◽️ BRICS as a platform for moral authority and Multipolar Cooperation◽️ India and China as partners in a redefined world order◽️ Thoughts on Waning US Hegemony and the fall of the Western Golden Age◽️ Europe’s exposure as a mirror to global Realignment◽️ India’s ascent toward true independence and Diplomatic Balance◽️ Lessons from Peace-Building and Environmental Negotiation◽️ The new power dynamics of Climate Finance and Green Investment◽️ Tech Power, Diplomacy, and the unsettling influence of the “Tech Bro” eliteSo download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peppy Mint Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋Episode Sponsored by◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟ABOUT THE HOST#AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #HTBRICSSeriesSupport the showFollow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at [email protected]

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