Money Majlis

Suvo Sarkar

Welcome to the podcast that’s redefining conversations on banking, finance, technology and marketing. Exploring topics that are current, consequential and controversial, it is a fortnightly deep-dive with leaders, thinkers and innovators by the veteran banker Suvo Sarkar.Money Majlis is the only podcast of its kind in the region, and since its launch in April 2024, has gained a loyal base of listeners across 110+ countries. Currently in its Season 2, it is among the top 3 business podcasts in the Middle East. It was recently awarded the Best New Podcast for 2024 at the PodClub people’s choice awards in Dubai.

  1. Ep 52. Wio, Women and What’s Next: A Conversation with Amina Taher

    1 DAY AGO

    Ep 52. Wio, Women and What’s Next: A Conversation with Amina Taher

    Send a text In this episode of Money Majlis with Suvo Sarkar, we look at the rise of digital banking in the UAE through the lens of one person’s journey: Amina Taher, Chief Marketing Officer of Wio Bank. Amina has spent two decades moving across investment firms, media, aviation and now fintech, helping to shape some of the region’s most visible brands while continuously reinventing herself as a leader. Wio’s rapid scale-up to nearly 400,000 customers and over AED 50B in deposits provides the backdrop, but the real story here is how Amina thinks about brand, culture and people in a world where everything is becoming digital She describes why her word for 2025 was “elevate” — and how that applied not just to Wio’s growth, but to her own learning curve as she moved into banking, and to the teams she now leads. Elevating a brand, in her view, means elevating the customer: designing propositions like Wio Personal, Wio Business, Wio Invest, Wio Family and Wio Creator around real lives rather than internal product silos. Yet she is careful to stress that features and numbers only matter if they are built on trust, clear communication and a human tone of voice. The conversation ranges from industry shifts to deeply personal reflections. Amina talks about growing up in a household shaped by the UAE’s founding values, her grandmother’s insistence that she study abroad, and what it felt like to build a career in male-dominated sectors without losing her sense of identity. She explains how those experiences inform the way she leads at Wio today — from obsessing about customer feedback and referrals to making sure the people behind the app are visible and relatable. We explore the tension between long-term brand-building and short-term performance, a dilemma that every marketer at a high-growth company knows well. Amina shares how she balances big, emotionally resonant campaigns with the weekly reality of dashboards, acquisition targets and ROI pressure. For her, storytelling and data are not opposites but complements: the story sets the direction, the numbers tell you when to adjust. Amina also reflects on the UAE’s remarkable progress on women in senior roles, the dynamics of being the only woman in some boardrooms, and how she tries to use her position to open doors for others. She offers practical advice to young women drawn to marketing, technology or banking but unsure where to start: seek environments that truly back you, do not be afraid to change sectors, and treat curiosity as a lifelong habit. Whether you care about fintech, branding or leadership, this episode is really about building a career that can hold both ambition and authenticity.   Visit moneymajlis.com to join our giving movement and get your USD 50 complimentary GiveCard.  Produced by : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld

    1h 12m
  2. Ep XTRA 11. Beyond 1983: Kapil Dev on Cricket, Culture and Courage

    20 FEB · BONUS

    Ep XTRA 11. Beyond 1983: Kapil Dev on Cricket, Culture and Courage

    Send a text In this XTRA edition of Money Majlis, the conversation steps out of the boardroom and into the dressing room with one of the most iconic leaders world sport has ever produced, Kapil Dev. From Chandigarh’s dusty grounds to lifting the 1983 World Cup at Lord’s, Kapil Dev’s story is not just about runs and wickets, but about belief, resilience and courage. Across this episode, host Suvo Sarkar explores how a fast-bowling all‑rounder, who never missed a single Test due to injury over 16 years, built his engine, his mindset and his leadership philosophy. Kapil Dev reflects on his almost accidental entry into cricket, the early days of being dismissed as “just another boy from North India,” and how the desire to prove doubters wrong quietly became fuel rather than baggage. He shares the inside story of that famous debut in Faisalabad, when Pakistani openers first realised an Indian bowler could really bowl bouncers, and of the disciplinary dropping in 1984 that taught him hard lessons about responsibility, ego and learning to blame himself before anyone else. This XTRA episode relives some of cricket’s most unforgettable moments through the man at the centre of them. Kapil breaks down what truly went through his mind at 17 for 5 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, why he felt “pleasure, not pressure” that day, and how his natural game of attacking cricket turned a hopeless position into one of the greatest counter‑attacks in history. He talks us through that famous backwards sprint to catch Viv Richards at Lord’s, why he rates the dismissal of Clive Lloyd as even more pivotal, and what it really meant to go past Sir Richard Hadlee’s world record with 434 Test wickets. But this is much more than a nostalgia trip. Kapil offers candid views on today’s multi‑billion‑dollar cricket economy, player workloads, and the mental toll of social media scrutiny on modern stars. He explains why he has no regrets about missing the IPL era, why Test cricket must be protected even if it means sacrificing some commercial upside, and how sports science, data and analytics have changed both expectations and excuses. The discussion also covers India’s growing ambitions across global sport, from badminton and boxing to javelin, and why real results will come only when parents, infrastructure and policy all change together. Leadership lessons flow throughout: the joint‑family model of captaincy, where “we” always trumps “me”; the importance of spending more time with the team‑mate who scored zero than the one who scored a hundred; and the humility to apologise to your own dressing room when you get it wrong. Kapil also speaks about his second innings as President of the Professional Golf Tour of India, what golf has taught him about concentration and self‑belief, and why playing for a team – in sport or business – is the best antidote to selfishness. Whether you are a CEO, a young professional or simply someone who loves a great human story, this episode is a masterclass in staying grounded while playing at the very top. This episode was made possible by the kind courtesy of Dhruv Verma, the founder & CEO of Thriwe.  To join the Money Majlis giving movement, and get your complimentary GiveCard, please visit www.moneymajlis.com.  Produced by : Poddster Giving partner: Goodworld

    55 min
  3. Ep 51. Flying high : a conversation with Paul Griffiths, aviation’s Willy Wonka

    13 FEB

    Ep 51. Flying high : a conversation with Paul Griffiths, aviation’s Willy Wonka

    Send a text The Season 3 opener of Money Majlis puts you right in the cockpit of Dubai’s aviation story, with Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, as your guide. He isn’t just running DXB and DWC; he is shaping how a city’s ambition takes flight, turning runways and terminals into engines of GDP, jobs and global connectivity. Across this conversation, Paul unpacks the now-famous mandate he received from Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum on day one: “never constrain the growth of aviation in Dubai.” That single KPI becomes the spine of the episode, as he explains how Dubai has grown into the world’s busiest international hub, while constantly pushing the limits of what its land‑constrained infrastructure can do. We go behind the scenes of DXB’s quiet revolution in operations, where real-time data and AI help aircraft turn around like Formula 1 pit stops and passengers glide through terminals with fewer queues, less friction and more time to enjoy the airport as a hospitality experience rather than a stress test. Paul’s philosophy is simple but powerful: treat every guest as an individual, respect their time, and design every process around the journey, not the bureaucracy. From there, the conversation widens to the next big leap at DWC, where Paul imagines a network of human-scale terminals that feel less like an airport and more like a sentient city: natural spaces, seamless biometrics, invisible security and dwell zones that combine lounges, retail, dining and entertainment into one fluid experience. The future airport, in his telling, is a calm, intuitive environment where the technology disappears into the background and the traveller remains firmly at the centre. Sustainability and leadership add a deeply human dimension to the episode. Paul talks candidly about the urgency of sustainable aviation fuel, the scale of the challenge, and why aviation must reinvent its energy model without pricing ordinary travellers out of the skies. He also reflects on Covid as a “never waste a good crisis” moment: a time to re-engineer costs, redesign partnerships and prove Dubai’s resilience to the world. Threaded through it all is Paul’s own story: a classically trained organist turned aviation leader who still sees airports as living orchestras, where frontline teams, Emirati talent and partner organisations have to play in harmony. It’s part macroeconomics, part technology playbook, part leadership masterclass—and a vivid love letter to travel itself. Production partner : Poddster Giving partner: Goodworld All past episodes and details of the Money Majlis giving movement can be viewed on www.moneymajlis.com.

    1h 18m
  4. 30 JAN

    Ep 50. Networks, Neural Links and Net Zero: Two futurists on tomorrow’s economy

    Send a text Season 2 of Money Majlis wraps with a powerful double feature recorded live at the inaugural Dubai Futurists Summit 2025, bringing together two of the world’s most compelling futurists: Ross Dawson and Ramez Naam. In this special back-to-back episode, host Suvo Sarkar explores how exponential technologies, AI, clean energy and information networks are reshaping money, work and society, and what leaders, investors and citizens must do now to build a future worth investing in.   Ross Dawson, bestselling author of “Living Networks” and “Thriving on Overload,” explains why we now live in a deeply networked economy – and how AI layered on top of these networks could unlock borderless finance while simultaneously amplifying cyber risk. He shares a practical playbook for turning information overload into an advantage, from sharpening purpose and mental models to mastering attention and synthesis in an age of distractions.    Ross makes the case for designing human–AI collaboration that amplifies uniquely human capabilities instead of replacing them, and sketches a future of fluid organizations where talent, learning and AI agents flow together instead of being trapped in rigid job descriptions. He also warns of deepfakes and post-truth media, arguing that every company must now behave like a transparent media organization to earn trust..   Ramez Naam, futurist, award‑winning author and climate-tech investor, takes the conversation from networks to the planet’s physical systems, weaving together AI, clean energy and human ingenuity. He describes why, despite conflict and climate risk, this is statistically the best time in human history – and how ideas remain our “infinite resource” for overcoming scarcity.    Ramez breaks down the exponential cost decline of solar, batteries and electric vehicles, and the pivotal role of smart policy in turning early subsidies into today’s market-driven clean-energy surge. He highlights the Middle East’s unique opportunity to leverage abundant sunlight and capital to become a powerhouse in low-cost energy and climate innovation, while also flagging the bottlenecks in grids, data centres and EV charging that entrepreneurs can solve.   Both guests converge on a common call: believe that a positive future is possible, then accept the responsibility to shape it – through better decisions, braver innovation and more inclusive policy.    Produced by : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld   Visit www.moneymajlis.com for your complimentary USD50 GiveCard to contribute to a charity of your choice.

    56 min
  5. 16 JAN

    Ep 49. Augmented, Not Replaced: The AI-Native Future of Wealth Management

    Send a text Private banking and wealth management are under intense pressure: rising regulation, demanding next-gen clients and thinning margins are forcing institutions to rethink how they work. In this episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar sits with Banesh Prabhu, CEO of IntellectAI  to explore how AI can move from pilot to production – turning fragmented data into real-time intelligence for advisers, operations and risk teams. They debate  what a truly AI-led wealth future looks like – from augmented relationship managers to agentic platforms that can orchestrate complex processes end to end.    Can AI can turn fragmented data across core systems, market feeds and unstructured documents into a “knowledge garden” that powers secure, domain-specific copilots for wealth teams? Instead of manually piecing together reports and call notes, can relationship managers walk into meetings with real-time, AI-curated insights on goals, risks, past interactions and next-best actions? That shift, if real, promises not only higher productivity, but more relevant and timely conversations in a business that remains deeply emotive and trust-based.   Suvo and Banesh unpack why the real battleground will be “trusted intelligence”, not raw intelligence. They discuss how audit trails, human-in-the-loop design and explicit governance layers around toxicity, bias and hallucination are becoming non-negotiable for regulators focused on suitability, consumer duty and fair outcomes. The future wealth winners, they argue, will be institutions that can industrialise AI use cases while still making it clear who is accountable when things go wrong.   For the GCC, Suvo and Banesh see a rare opening to build AI-native wealth hubs: less legacy, faster decision cycles, ambitious regulators and an influx of global wealth all create fertile ground for platform-led innovation. But they warn that success will depend on upgrading data maturity, cultivating new skills and resisting the temptation to bolt AI onto broken models instead of reimagining journeys around outcomes.   The episode also dives into leadership: building cross-cultural, cross-functional teams, moving from command-and-control to empowered “diamond-shaped” organisations, and why ruthless prioritisation, patience and people-first thinking are at the heart of any successful transformation.   If you want a realistic roadmap to AI-enabled, human-centric wealth management – grounded in what is working in large, regulated institutions today – this episode offers a concise, practitioner’s guide to the future. ​   Produced by : Poddster  Giving partner : Goodworld   Please visit www.moneymajlis.com to join the Money Majlis giving movement and get your complimentary $50 GiveCard.

    1h 25m
  6. 2 JAN

    Ep 48. Democratising Finance: Kim Fournais on the story of Saxo Bank and honest capitalism

    Send a text Money Majlis kicks off 2026 with my predictions for the 6 top trends in banking this year plus a candid, high-energy conversation with one of Europe’s original fintech pioneers: Kim Fournais, founder and CEO of Saxo Bank.  From starting with just a telephone, a fax machine and Euro 70,000 in capital in 1992, to building a global multi-asset trading and investment powerhouse serving nearly 1.5 million clients with over USD 140 billion in assets, Kim’s journey is a masterclass in vision, grit and disciplined innovation. In this episode, Kim explains how a young engineer in Copenhagen spotted the inefficiencies of voice-based trading and decided to put “the whole capital markets business on the internet” years before online trading was mainstream. He recalls sketching his first trading screen on paper, launching Saxo’s online platform in 1998, and convincing a sceptical industry that real-time, transparent pricing and digital execution would define the future of markets.  We talk about Saxo’s evolution from a niche Danish brokerage into a global facilitator of capital markets — a tech-first bank delivering multi-asset, multi-currency, multilingual platforms not only to direct clients, but also to more than a hundred financial institutions through a white-label “banking-as-a-service” model. Kim shares how partnerships, culture and an obsession with the “Saxo experience” have allowed the firm to stay agile even as it scaled, embedding technology into every team instead of isolating IT in a silo. He talks about using AI for years across the value chain, and why the real revolution is a new service model that combines human relationship managers with hyper-personalised, AI-driven insights and digital wealth solutions.   Kim reflects on responsible risk-taking, arguing that common sense, diversification and education must anchor a world where powerful tools are increasingly in everyone’s hands. He warns against the “get rich fast” culture around trading and crypto, stressing that true financial democracy requires informed investors, robust guardrails and long-term, win–win relationships between platforms and clients.   Finally, Kim explains “honest capitalism” through his self-sustaining Danish island, powered by wind, solar, batteries and regenerative farming, which he sees as a microcosm of how capital can create beauty, biodiversity and independence rather than excess. He shares what true wealth means to him – meaningful relationships, health, and purposeful work – and how martial arts, flying turboprops and modern art all shape his mindset as a leader.   Produced by : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld Sponsors : Aquanow, Emirates NBD, Intellect Design Arena, e& Etisalat and Network International   Please visit www.moneymajlis.com to redeem your complimentary USD 50 GiveCard towards a charity of your choice.

    1h 6m
  7. 19/12/2025

    Ep 47. Fintech for the Many: Tariq bin Hendi on rewiring everyday money

    Send a text In this episode of Money Majlis, host Suvo Sarkar sits down with former colleague Dr. Tariq bin Hendi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Astra Tech, to unpack how Botim is transforming from a simple VoIP calling app into an AI-native fintech powerhouse for the UAE and beyond. It is a conversation that weaves together policy, technology, inclusion, and leadership—anchored in one of the region’s most ambitious experiments in embedded finance. Tariq begins by tracing his unconventional journey across investment banking, wealth management, government service and now consumer technology, and explains why the financial needs of a blue collar worker are fundamentally the same as those of a millionaire. That perspective underpins Astra Tech’s big bet on Botim: rebuilding the platform from the ground up as an AI-native ecosystem that combines communication, payments, lending, remittances and investments into a single everyday app. With over 100 million users globally and more than 3.5 million wallet customers in the UAE alone, Botim now sits at the crossroads of digital life and digital money in the region.  Suvo and Tariq dig into what it really took to re-architect Botim from a scattered set of brands to a unified financial-services-first platform. Tariq explains how the team rebuilt the tech stack, integrated payments and lending under one roof, and used AI to simplify user journeys for customer segments that are often excluded from sophisticated financial tools. He shares how Botim’s wallet now gives many underbanked users their first virtual IBAN, enabling wallet-to-wallet, wallet-to-bank and bank-to-wallet flows at some of the lowest remittance costs in the UAE, while also building credit histories that connect them to the wider financial system.  The episode also explores the human side of financial inclusion. Tariq talks candidly about understanding the realities of workers who still queue at ATMs for cash, and designing products that meet their real needs rather than just their “nice-to-haves.” From micro-lending and low-ticket gold investments to future features that will help families and children build savings and financial literacy, he outlines a roadmap that is commercial, but deeply social in its impact. Looking ahead, he predicts that AI-powered advice, hyper-personalised interfaces and frictionless, voice-led interactions will redefine how people across emerging markets experience money.  Beyond the product story, the conversation covers leadership, culture and resilience. Tariq reflects on creating a culture of accountability without fear, and the leadership traits that have carried him across banking, government and tech: honesty, execution, and the discipline to “listen to understand, not to respond.” He closes with practical career advice for young professionals and his obsession with collecting Lego blocks.  Produced by : Sabine Achkar at Poddster  Giving partner : Goodworld Please visit www.moneymajlis.com to join the Money Majlis giving movement and get your complimentary $50 GiveCard.

    1h 5m
  8. Ep XTRA 10. Culture, Curiosity, and the Future of Universities : Dr Ranjan Banerjee on re-imagining education

    12/12/2025 · BONUS

    Ep XTRA 10. Culture, Curiosity, and the Future of Universities : Dr Ranjan Banerjee on re-imagining education

    Send a text Dr Ranjan Banerjee brings a rare blend of empathy, intellect and visionary leadership to this XTRA episode of Money Majlis recorded in Mumbai. As founding Vice Chancellor of Nayanta University, he is pioneering an audacious experiment in Indian higher education—one that elevates inclusion, curiosity, and purpose above conventional metrics. Banerjee’s own eclectic journey, travelling from consulting and marketing to academic stewardship and institution-building, sets the stage for a riveting conversation on how universities can shape not just careers, but character and citizenship.   In this episode, Banerjee evokes the founding vision of Nayanta, a university conceived by some of India’s most influential industrialists determined to build a world-class institution—one that fuses the best of Western liberal arts with India’s vibrant social diversity. He illuminates the “four Cs” at the heart of Nayanta’s philosophy: Care, Curiosity, Confidence, and Careers. For Banerjee, true transformation happens when faculty spend meaningful time with students outside the classroom, and when learning turns from rote memorisation into a journey of discovery. His stories of personal impact—unlocking a student’s self-worth, or fostering radical approachability—reveal an ethos where every learner is seen as special, their stories respected and nurtured.   Banerjee unpacks the power of behavioural economics—how subtle changes in context can dissolve hierarchy and foster a culture of collaboration and care. Through vivid anecdotes, he shows how student achievement can be measured not with a single number, but by curiosity and ambition, and how resilience and purpose have become the most valued skills in the age of AI.   Listeners will hear Banerjee’s reflections on leadership, his insights on equipping students for a world where AI and automation are rewriting the rules, and his belief that excellence arises from pursuing what you truly care about—with money as a happy side effect. Above all, this conversation is an invitation to reimagine education—not as a conveyor belt to jobs, but a movement to inspire changemakers and contributors. You will be challenged to see learning as a lifelong adventure, and legacy as a culture of care, curiosity and impact.    And do remember to join the giving movement of this podcast by visiting moneymajlis.com and redeeming your complimentary GiveCard for a charity closest to your heart.    Produced by : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld

    1h 16m

About

Welcome to the podcast that’s redefining conversations on banking, finance, technology and marketing. Exploring topics that are current, consequential and controversial, it is a fortnightly deep-dive with leaders, thinkers and innovators by the veteran banker Suvo Sarkar.Money Majlis is the only podcast of its kind in the region, and since its launch in April 2024, has gained a loyal base of listeners across 110+ countries. Currently in its Season 2, it is among the top 3 business podcasts in the Middle East. It was recently awarded the Best New Podcast for 2024 at the PodClub people’s choice awards in Dubai.

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