Speaker

Banking, platforms and transformation without the fantasy. Stories, scars and practical frameworks leaders can actually use.

I help banks, fintechs and technology providers talk honestly about change.

Core modernisation, platform strategy, embedded finance, AI, payments, ecosystems – I have spent more than 30 years somewhere between the code, the architecture diagrams, the business models, the strategy, and the executive steering group.

On stage I combine war stories from real programmes, current industry shifts and the frameworks from my book Rip Out The Core to give audiences two things: a clearer mental model and the uncomfortable questions they should be asking when they get back to the office.

You don’t need another generic “future of banking is digital” talk. Your audience has heard that. My job is to connect the big themes like coreless banking, platforms, embedded finance, and AI to the reality of delivery, governance and risk in actual institutions.

Why Book Me

Experience across core, payments and platforms
I have worked with banks and technology providers in the Nordics and beyond on core banking, payments, open banking, embedded finance and platform strategy. The talks are grounded in real programmes, not theory.

A method, not just opinions
Platform Enabled Banking Transformation (PEBT) is the method I use to tie things together. It gives leaders a way to think about capabilities, architecture, vendors and risk that sits underneath whatever buzzword is fashionable this year.

Story-driven, not slide-driven
From my own kitchen renovation disaster to the fictional NOIT Bank and real client work, I use narrative and simple diagrams so architects, product owners and executives all stay engaged with the same story.

Constructive honesty
I will not sugar-coat why transformations stall, why platform ambitions get lost in procurement or why AI is not going to magically fix your core. But the talks always point to practical things that can be done differently.

Speaking Topics

I can speak on a range of transformational and strategic topics with a focus on emerging technologies and future business models in banking.

Rip Out The Core
Lessons from failed and successful transformations and how to approach progressive modernisations differently.

Platform Enabled Banking
What Platform Actually means for capabilities, architecture and vendors, with a focus on Embedded Finance and platform business models, and the new strategy for success.

Towards a Coreless Future
Thin core, coreless, rich ecosystems and how to avoid turning everything into spaghetti

AI in Banking
Where AI genuinely helps in banking, and where it is just a threat.

You can think of these as starting points. Most events need a tailored angle and I’m happy to shape the content to your audience.

Recent Engagements

Sibos Frankfurt

Panel Discussion
Do banks still have a future role in payments?

Samlink Seminar

Keynote & Round Table
The Future of Banking – 2025 and beyond

Stockholm Fintech Week

Keynote
Disaster-Driven Transformation

Fintensity Copenhage

Panel Discussion
Embedded Finance: A Strategic Roadmap for Banks

Mobey Forum Stockholm

Keynote
Rip Out The Core – Strategies for Progressive Modernisation

Di Banking Stockholm

Panel Discussion
How to Drive and Ecosystem Enabled Transformation

Ready to Collaborate

If you’re planning a conference, customer event or internal leadership session and need someone who can talk honestly about banking, platforms and core transformation, I’d be happy to help.

I work across formats from 20–45 minute keynotes that frame your day, to panel discussions and fireside chats that bring different perspectives together, through to focused executive briefings and offsites where we can go deeper with your leadership team. I also regularly moderate events and panels, keeping the conversation real, on time and relevant to the people in the room.

I can also bring the Fintech Daydreaming team for an exclusive podcast experience.

If that sounds useful for your audience, get in touch with a few details about your event, dates, location (or online), who will be in the room and how you’d like me to contribute.

Just reach out and we can discuss your needs. You can reach me via email at paul@krogdahl.com