Loyalty Reimagined with Starling Bank
Closing the Gap Between Payments and Customer Experience.
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In this episode.
In this edition of In the Hot Seat, Enfuce Co-CEO Denise Johansson sits down with Ruwani Hewa, Director of Payments at Starling Bank, for a practical and forward-looking conversation on what customer loyalty really means in modern financial services.
Their discussion explores how data-driven intelligence, thoughtful digital design and personalisation are reshaping trust, engagement and retention. Together, they unpack where traditional banks often fall short, how customer understanding can unlock deeper relationships, and why loyalty today is built through relevance, timing and emotional connection.
Key highlights:
- Why customer loyalty is no longer transactional and cannot be reduced to points or cashback
- How banks can use customer data responsibly to understand life stages and real needs
- The role of UX, UI and seamless digital experiences in building trust and engagement
- Why different generations require fundamentally different loyalty and engagement strategies
- How AI and intelligent insights could shape the future of loyalty in financial services
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Meet the guest
Ruwani Hewa is an experienced payments leader with over 17 years delivering customer-centric solutions across payments and loyalty. She has driven strategic planning, market positioning, product strategy and delivery, and go-to-market execution.
She recently joined Starling Bank as Director of Payments, a role that sits at the heart of how Starling moves money, serves customers, and supports partners. Ruwani has previously held senior roles at Nuapay/GoCardless, Barclaycard, and American Express.
Meet the host
Denise Johansson is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Enfuce, the first fintech in the world to put payment processing in the public cloud. Denise is a dynamic female innovator and leader with almost 20 years of experience in the payment industry.
Denise, whose expertise has been recognised by several initiatives including InspiringFifty, has helped numerous European fintechs and financial institutions enter new markets quickly with safe, secure, and scalable card products. She is committed to encouraging more women into fintech, inspiring them to set bold goals and work towards them.
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