In this episode of Pioneers in Payments, host Donna Blum sits down with Steven Hansen, Managing Director at FTI Consulting, to explore the forces reshaping the global payments landscape.
Steven leads payments strategy and transformation initiatives for financial institutions, fintechs, payment providers, and global corporations. With deep expertise in payments modernization, instant payments, ISO 20022, digital assets, stablecoins, and next-generation commerce, he helps organizations transform payments from a back-office utility into a strategic business capability.
During the conversation, Steven discusses one of the most significant trends impacting the industry today: the convergence of instant payment rails, stablecoins, programmable money, and agentic commerce. He explains how the shift from batch-based processing to real-time, 24/7 payment ecosystems is changing customer expectations, operational models, liquidity management, fraud prevention, and compliance requirements.
Steven also shares his perspective on the greatest opportunity facing organizations today—viewing payments as a strategic asset rather than a commodity. Organizations that leverage rich data, embedded payments, ISO 20022, and emerging payment technologies to create better customer experiences and new revenue opportunities will be best positioned for long-term success.
The discussion also covers the challenges of navigating rapid industry change, balancing innovation with regulatory compliance, and making modernization investments that deliver measurable returns.
Steven closes with a powerful piece of advice for payments leaders: Build for flexibility, not for one predicted future.
Topics discussed include:
- Instant Payments and Real-Time Payment Rails
- ISO 20022 Transformation
- Stablecoins and Digital Assets
- Payment Infrastructure Modernization
- Agentic Commerce and Programmable Payments
- Liquidity Management and Settlement Models
- Fraud, Risk, and Compliance Considerations
- Embedded Finance and Payment Innovation
- Strategic Payments Transformation
Connect with Steven Hansen:
/stevenchansen
steven.hansen@fticonsulting.com
About FTI Consulting:
FTI Consulting is a leading global business advisory firm that helps organizations navigate transformation, manage risk, and address complex operational, financial, regulatory, and strategic challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the firm has more than 8,100 professionals across 32 countries and serves many of the world’s largest corporations, financial institutions, and government organizations. Learn more at http://www.fticonsulting.com/.
About BHMI:
BHMI provides software solutions for back-office processing of electronic payments. The Concourse Financial Software Suite® offers dynamic, flexible solutions for processing debit, credit, mobile, P2P, real-time payments, ATMs, POS, and more. Concourse enables automated reconciliation, settlement, fee assessment, dispute management, and back-office modernization. Learn more at https://bhmi.com.
