Perspectives on how cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and Open Banking are redefining the future of the financial industry.
During the largest financial innovation congress in Latin America, held in Miami, N5 — in collaboration with Fintech Americas — produced an exclusive episode of the FinTalks podcast. The goal: to explore the ideas, trends, and people transforming the global financial future.
In this episode, we speak with Laercio Fogaça, Director of Solution Engineering at Mambu, who shares his perspective on the true drivers of digital transformation in banking. According to him, it’s more than just technology — it’s a strategic journey. It’s about understanding how each advancement — from cloud computing to artificial intelligence and Open Banking — can create real value for both customers and institutions. And those who can navigate this new landscape with foresight will undoubtedly take the lead.
Watch the full interview now:
1. The challenges of traditional banking
One of the biggest obstacles to digital transformation in banking is technological legacy. Old, monolithic systems hinder the adoption of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and prevent real-time operations. This rigidity makes innovation difficult, increases operational costs, and significantly affects the customer experience.
2. Modern architectures and value generation
Modernizing tech architecture is not just a technical task — it’s a strategy focused on business outcomes. Fogaça emphasizes that the goal is to make banks more agile, efficient, and personalized. Tech transformation only makes sense when it results in concrete benefits for customers and tangible value for daily operations.
3. Cloud and AI: What’s next
Cloud adoption has already become a foundational step in banking digitalization. The next phase — already underway — is the widespread integration of artificial intelligence. However, to unleash AI’s full potential, real-time data is essential. Without it, AI’s ability to improve customer experiences and support decision-making becomes limited.
4. Real-life impact of modernization
Fogaça shares real examples of how a modern banking core transforms operations. In legacy systems, changing a customer’s status from “Silver” to “Gold” could take hours or even days. With a modern architecture, the change happens instantly, directly enhancing the user experience. Fraud prevention and credit duplication can also be avoided, thanks to integration with decision engines and Open Banking platforms.
5. Open Banking in Latin America
Brazil leads the region with an Open Banking model inspired by the UK system. Countries like Chile, Colombia, and Argentina are also making rapid progress. The expectation is for future regional convergence that will scale the fintech ecosystem across Latin America, enabling greater interoperability among national financial systems.
6. Measuring technological success
According to Fogaça, the success of a digital transformation should not be measured by the technology itself, but by its real impact on business. Improvements in customer experience, increased profitability, service personalization, and meeting goals within time and budget — these are the true indicators. Architecture is just the means; what matters is the final result.
7. Advice for industry professionals
For those working — or aiming to work — in financial services innovation, Fogaça recommends studying both the technology and the business it supports. Real value is generated when technical knowledge is paired with a deep understanding of how each solution impacts the end customer.
