The Next Wave of Profitable Digital Banking
August 3, 2026
Digital banking profitability and banking infrastructure modernization are entering a new phase. In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Keerthi Iyengar, Chief Operating Officer at Constantinople, and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology. Together, they navigate how banking-as-a-service platforms and cloud-native infrastructure are fundamentally reshaping the financial services industry, enabling tier 2 and tier 3 banks to compete with digital disruptors without sacrificing trust, compliance, or community connection.
Digital banking profitability and banking infrastructure modernization are entering a new phase. In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Keerthi Iyengar, Chief Operating Officer at Constantinople, and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology. Together, they navigate how banking-as-a-service platforms and cloud-native infrastructure are fundamentally reshaping the financial services industry, enabling tier 2 and tier 3 banks to compete with digital disruptors without sacrificing trust, compliance, or community connection.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to reduce cost-to-income ratios by up to 70% without compromising security or compliance
- Why legacy banks don't need to choose between modernization and brand identity
- How to launch production-ready banking platforms in five months instead of years
- Why financial literacy and embedded banking tools are becoming table stakes
- How modern infrastructure enables banks to serve underbanked and underserved segments globally
Keerthi Iyengar is Chief Operating Officer at Constantinople, where he drives the execution and delivery of banking infrastructure solutions designed to modernize legacy financial institutions. With deep expertise in operational transformation, technology strategy, and financial services innovation, Keerthi has become a leading voice in reimagining how banks can compete in the digital age without sacrificing their community relationships and brand identity.
Jeff Parker is the CEO of Paymentology, a global payments technology provider operating in 65 countries. His expertise lies in developing configurable payment solutions and fostering strategic partnerships across the fintech ecosystem. Under his leadership, Paymentology has become a key enabler of digital transformation in the payments industry, particularly in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia.
Episode Resources:
- Keerthi Iyengar on LinkedIn
- Jeff Parker on LinkedIn
- Constantinople Website
- Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn
- Paymentology Website
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Previous guests include: Christian Rau of Mastercard, Michael Galvin of Toqio, Ignacio Gironella Merino of MeaWallet, Pauline Molloyi of OM Bank, Arpit Gupta of UnDosTres, Carl Raven of Visa, Dr. Allan Villegas of Liabify, Rohit Subramanian of TymeBank, Godfrey Sullivan of Visa CEMEA, and Stefan Colins of Venly Finance.
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