The People Making Payments Podcast
Welcome to The People Making Payments Podcast - a 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.
Enjoy!
Episodes

Monday May 18, 2026
Monday May 18, 2026
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.

Wednesday May 13, 2026
Wednesday May 13, 2026
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 👀

Monday Nov 10, 2025
Monday Nov 10, 2025
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.

Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
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.

Monday Oct 27, 2025
Monday Oct 27, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Prithweesh De — we’re talking about one of the biggest challenges facing insights teams in banks and payments firms: how to prioritise competing requests, stay focused on what really matters, and demonstrate strategic impact across the business.

Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Nicky Cockerill and Ane Unamuno — we’re looking at how banks and payments companies can create thought-leadership that actually stands out.

Monday Sep 22, 2025
Monday Sep 22, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Diana Arizaleta — we’re revisiting the rise of premium commercial cards, and exploring how issuers can capitalise on the opportunities available.

Monday Sep 15, 2025
Monday Sep 15, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Anna Pantazi — we’re looking at a why internal data, on its own, isn’t enough for financial services and payments companies to make sharp, strategic decisions.

Monday Sep 08, 2025
Monday Sep 08, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Ane Unamuno — we’re rethinking the role of insight in financial services and payments marketing; from a campaign input, to an always-on strategy.

Monday Sep 01, 2025
Monday Sep 01, 2025
In today’s episode — which was originally written as an article by Diana Arizaleta — we’re talking about loyalty in banking, and why providers can no longer rely on products alone to secure it.


