Leaders in Lending
Leaders in Lending is a show for lending professionals who want to grow their consumer lending programs and improve the member experience. Consumers expect faster, easier online experiences from every company, and our guests share how they are bringing their organizations and lending products into the future.
Every two weeks, we deliver actionable advice and key insights from experienced industry voices to help you navigate the evolving world of consumer lending.
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Upstart.
Recent Episodes
194
July 22, 2026
Why Better Predictions Beat Bigger Risk
What if the biggest advantage in lending isn't taking less risk, but making better predictions? In this episode of Leaders in Lending, host Barry Roach sits down with Sanjay Dutta, President and Chief Capital Officer at Upstart, to discuss how AI-powered prediction models are reshaping lending, why capital matters more than ever, and what today's economic environment means for financial institutions. They discuss: Why Sanjay left Google to help build Upstart Why lending is fundamentally a
193
July 8, 2026
Why a 5% Retention Lift Could Mean 90% More Profit
Most banks still treat community banking as a regulatory box to check. Queanne Smith, SVP and Group Strategy Manager at U.S. Bank, says that mindset caps growth instead of driving it, and breaks down how a 5% lift in client retention can swing profit by 25 to 90 percent. In this episode: - Community banking as growth infrastructure, not a side initiative - Getting embedded early in the customer lifecycle, pre-loan and pre-deposit - Why CRA requirements should be the floor, not the ceiling - Bui
June 24, 2026
The Pendulum Is About to Swing Back. Are You Ready?
The regulations never went away. The exams slowed down, the enforcement pulled back, but every rule is still on the books. And when the pendulum swings back, everything being done right now is going to get looked at. Mike Reynolds from Zions Bancorporation and Aaron Rakowski from WesBanco co-chair the CBA CFPB Committee and have a clear message: this window is not a vacation. It's a chance to catch your documentation up, plug your compliance resources into product development, and stop yo-yoing
191
June 10, 2026
Innovation Is Moving Faster Than the System
Innovation is accelerating across consumer banking. AI, digital assets and new payment models are reshaping the industry. But institutions still operate inside established regulatory frameworks. In this episode, Kyle Glenn of the Consumer Bankers...
May 27, 2026
Banking Is Commoditized. Experience Is Not.
The banking product is commoditized. The experience is not. In this episode of Leaders in Lending, guest host Deepak Bhandari sits down with TJ Steele, director of digital channels at Eastern Bank, to discuss how banks can differentiate when rates,...
189
May 13, 2026
Auto Lending Just Hit a Wall. Now What?
Auto affordability isn't a cycle this time. It's a new baseline. In this episode, guest host Deepak Bhandari from Upstart sits down with Eric Earvin from First Commonwealth Bank and Michael Gilbert from Associated Bank, co-chairs of the CBA Auto...
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