Marcia Klingensmith
Founder and CEO at FinTech Consulting, LLC
Payments
Education: Syracuse University - Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
Savannah, GA, USA
Biography
The Instant Payments Maven | FinTech Strategist | AI & Payments Innovation Expert
A sought-after speaker, panelist, and workshop facilitator, Marcia delivers engaging, high-impact sessions that break down the business value of instant payments, the role of AI in financial services, and the future of digital transactions. She is passionate about empowering banks and fintechs to embrace next-generation technologies while ensuring financial inclusion and operational excellence.
Marcia Klingensmith is a recognized global thought leader in instant payments, AI-driven payments strategies, and financial services innovation. As the CEO of FinTech Consulting, LLC, she helps financial institutions and fintechs navigate the evolving world of payments modernization, leveraging AI, automation, ISO 20022, and real-time payments to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and unlock new revenue streams.
With over 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies—including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Visa, and FIS Global—Marcia brings a deep understanding of banking transformation, cross-border transactions, embedded finance, and risk mitigation. She specializes in making complex financial concepts accessible, equipping executives with actionable strategies to stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape.
Marcia’s expertise spans both global and regional markets, with deep insights into the U.S., Caribbean, and European financial ecosystems. She is a member of the U.S. Faster Payments Council, serves on multiple industry committees, and frequently contributes to discussions on payments modernization and digital transformation.
📍 Available for keynotes, panels, podcasts, workshops, and executive strategy sessions.
Let's connect to bring cutting-edge payments, AI, and fintech insights to your audience!
Passion
Marcia Klingensmith is passionate about transforming the financial industry through innovation, instant payments, and AI-driven strategies. She thrives on helping banks and fintechs unlock new opportunities, streamline operations, and stay ahead in an increasingly digital and fast-paced world. With a deep love for simplifying complex financial challenges, she enjoys breaking down industry shifts—such as ISO 20022, open banking, and real-time payments—into actionable strategies that drive real impact. Marcia is particularly energized by collaboration, education, and thought leadership, ensuring financial institutions not only adopt cutting-edge technology but also use it to enhance financial inclusion, reduce friction, and create seamless, secure payment experiences. Her passion lies in bridging the gap between innovation and practical execution, making the future of finance both accessible and profitable for all stakeholders.
Best Story
From Skepticism to Strategy: Convincing Banks That Instant Payments Matter
A few years ago, while leading real-time payments at FIS Global, I uncovered a huge knowledge gap—75% of banks didn’t even know what instant payments were, let alone how to implement them. Financial institutions were skeptical, resistant, and overwhelmed by legacy systems.
Rather than just pushing technology, Ishifted the conversation. Instead of asking, “Are you ready for instant payments?”, I asked, “How much does it cost you when payments don’t move instantly?” That one question changed everything. It opened up discussions about cash flow, customer expectations, and operational inefficiencies.
Through education, strategic guidance, and playbooks for implementation, I help banks go from confused to committed, navigating them from idea to delivery.
Key takeaway: Change happens when you shift the conversation from technology to business impact.
Origin Story
My Why: Bridging the Gap in Payments Modernization
Two years ago, I launched my consulting practice to help financial institutions and fintechs harness instant payments as the first step in their payments modernization journey. Working across the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, I’ve become known globally as the “Instant Payments Maven”—because I don’t just talk about payments innovation; I help banks and fintechs put it into action.
My journey started while leading the launch of real-time payments at a global fintech, where I made a surprising discovery—most financial institutions didn’t fully understand instant payments or the transformative impact they could have. They saw it as just another payment rail, rather than a strategic enabler for customer retention, cash flow management, and new business models.
The reality was stark:
* 78% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck
* 82% of small businesses fail due to cash flow challenges
* 33% of large businesses still rely on checks
Instant payments—with its precision timing, control, and rich data—wasn’t just about speed; it was a lifeline for businesses and consumers alike. That’s when I realized my mission: to help financial institutions stay relevant by using instant payments as a tool for financial empowerment.
Through my consulting practice, I equip banks and fintechs with the strategies, knowledge, and tools they need to innovate, compete, and serve their customers in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Because in the end, payments modernization isn’t just about technology—it’s about people, businesses, and the future of financial services.
Example talks
Instant payments as the low-hanging fruit to payments modernization: How Financial Institutions Can Take Their First Strategic Step Toward Composable Architecture
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the demands of modernization, uncertain where to begin, or frustrated by experts who “don’t get it”—you’re not alone. Between AI, ISO 20022, cloud migration, fraud risks, and new customer demands, staying current can feel impossible.
But what if your next step didn’t have to be complex or high risk?
Instant payments aren’t just a faster rail—they’re the low-hanging fruit that unlocks real momentum. This session, led by globally recognized strategist and Instant Payments Maven Marcia Klingensmith, will show how instant payments serve as the launchpad for modernization:
* Not just speed: how this rail enables customer retention, operational efficiency, and new revenue
* Why many FIs partner with third-party providers to abstract their core, enabling real-time data, cloud-based APIs, and security layers
* How this approach sets the foundation for composable banking architecture—without the pain of rip-and-replace
* How banks use this strategic wedge to incrementally migrate capabilities and gain negotiating leverage with their core
You’ll also explore how instant payments help financial institutions deliver precision control to their communities—consumers, gig workers, and businesses alike—while navigating constant change with clarity and confidence.
If you’ve felt adrift in the modernization journey, this session is your map.
Key Takeaways:
* What instant payments really are, and how they fit into global modernization trends.
* Why instant payments are a strategic lever for cloud transformation and modular design.
* How to help your community thrive with transparent, real-time payment control.
* A phased roadmap to modernization that’s low-risk, high-impact, and future-proof.
* How to stay ahead in a fast-moving, expert-confusing space—without feeling at sea.
Format Options:
This session can be delivered in a variety of formats to meet the needs of your audience, for example:
* 30-minute or 1-hour virtual presentation
* Executive keynote or panel contribution
* Facilitated roundtable discussion for policy or payments committees
* Hands-on workshop with readiness exercises and scenario planning
Each version is tailored to align with audience sophistication—from strategic leaders to operational teams.
Stablecoins & the Future of Banking: Risks, Rails, and Readiness
Stablecoins have quickly moved from the fringe of finance to the forefront of policymaker and boardroom discussions. With bipartisan legislation on the table and enterprise use cases quietly expanding, financial institutions face a growing imperative: understand the strategic implications—or risk falling behind.
In this timely, forward-looking session, payments modernization expert Marcia Klingensmith (the Instant Payments Maven™) unpacks what stablecoins mean for banks, credit unions, and the broader payments ecosystem. She demystifies the regulatory landscape, explores real-world use cases, and shares how banks can prepare their infrastructure, operations, and risk posture for a stablecoin-enabled future.
Whether you're skeptical or intrigued, this session provides a grounded, pragmatic look at how to position your institution to respond—and lead.
Learning Objectives:
* Demystify the evolving policy landscape around stablecoins, including upcoming federal legislation and the potential roles of the SEC, CFTC, and state regulators.
* Understand the operational implications of integrating stablecoins into banking systems—ranging from payments hubs to core systems and routing logic.
* Explore real-world, high-trust use cases for stablecoins in B2B payments, treasury operations, and disbursements.
* Evaluate the risks and trade-offs around deposit displacement, systemic risk, custody models, and wallet interoperability.
* Equip your institution with a readiness framework to assess use cases, build optionality into your tech stack, and engage with regulators and partners proactively.
AI-Powered Payments Modernization: Where automation, reconciliation, and personalization intersect.
In an era where speed is the minimum and intelligence is the differentiator, financial institutions are feeling the pressure to modernize—or be left behind. But true payments transformation isn't just about faster transactions. It's about reimagining the way we operate, reconcile, and serve customers—powered by AI.
This session dives into the next frontier of modernization: using AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic enabler across the payments value chain. From automating back-office tasks and enhancing reconciliation accuracy to delivering hyper-personalized experiences in real-time, we’ll explore how financial institutions can integrate AI to drive both efficiency and differentiation.
Drawing from 20+ years leading payment innovation at Visa, Bank of America, and FIS, Marcia Klingensmith—known across the industry as the Instant Payments Maven™—brings real-world insights, future-focused strategies, and a framework for leaders ready to unlock the full potential of intelligent payments.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
* Identify high-impact use cases for AI in your payments modernization roadmap
* Reframe compliance and reconciliation pain points as automation opportunities
* Leverage ISO 20022 and instant payments rails as AI fuel, not friction
* Personalize customer interactions with predictive insights
* Build momentum with a phased strategy that scales
Whether you're a fintech innovator or a legacy institution looking for your next move, this session will leave you energized, equipped, and ready to modernize with purpose.
Out in the Open: Financial Institutions (Credit Unions / Banks ) Embrace APIs for Greater Financial Empowerment
In this compelling session, Marcia Klingensmith, globally known as the "Instant Payments Maven," decodes the transformative power of APIs and open banking for credit unions. This dynamic presentation bridges the gap between traditional financial models and modern innovations, illustrating how APIs empower credit unions to enhance member experiences and achieve greater financial inclusion.
Marcia will share:
• The Fundamentals of Open Banking: What open banking is, how it transforms credit union operations, and why it’s critical for U.S. financial institutions.
• Global Comparisons: A dive into how the U.S. approach to open banking compares to Europe and other regions, highlighting unique challenges and opportunities.
• APIs and Instant Payments: How APIs and real-time data sharing can unlock new fraud prevention methods, drive financial inclusion, improve member experiences and drive revenue growth.
• Actionable Use Cases: Real-world examples of credit unions leveraging APIs to modernize services, monetize data and remain competitive in a fast-evolving market.
Marcia’s engaging and insightful presentation will provide attendees with the foundational knowledge needed to explore deeper use cases and tackle challenges associated with payments modernization and API adoption.
This session will equip financial institution leaders to understand the strategic role of APIs and open banking in driving financial empowerment. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to foster innovation, build resilience and transform their institutions for the future.
Unlocking Business Value from ISO 20022: Using rich data for automation, fraud detection, and customer experience
ISO 20022 is more than just a data standard—it’s a catalyst for operational transformation. In this eye-opening session, Marcia Klingensmith, a sought-after strategist and global keynote speaker, takes the mystery out of ISO 20022 and replaces it with a powerful, practical vision: how to turn structured data into a strategic asset that boosts efficiency, cuts costs, and enhances every customer interaction.
With over two decades at institutions like Visa, Bank of America, and FIS, Marcia demystifies the complexity and shows how leading banks are already using ISO 20022 to fuel automation, fraud detection, and personalized service delivery. She shares actionable insights, case studies, and proven frameworks that help operations leaders see ISO 20022 not as a compliance burden—but as a launchpad for smarter, faster, safer banking.
Whether you’re just starting your migration or looking to optimize post-implementation, this session equips you to capture the full business value of your data.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the real business case for ISO 20022—beyond compliance—focusing on efficiency, risk mitigation, and growth.
2. Explore how structured, rich payment data enables intelligent automation, faster reconciliation, and improved exception handling.
3. Learn how ISO 20022 fuels fraud prevention through enhanced visibility into payment purpose, counterparties, and anomalies.
4. Discover ways to personalize the customer experience using enriched data fields, enabling smarter onboarding, segmentation, and service.
5. Gain actionable strategies to move from data migration to data monetization—linking ISO 20022 with APIs, AI, and payments modernization roadmaps.
Speaking Engagements
Edge25
Faster Payments Council Spring Member Meeting
Kinfos Instant Payments & Fraud Summit
FinTech MeetUp
FinTech Islands 2025
NEACH Future of Payments
FinTech South
MPC Event
Women in Payments LATAM
Faster Payments Council Spring Member Meeting
2024 Identity & Payments Summit
FinTech Islands 2024
Americas Cash Cycle & Payments Conference
Kinfos RTP Payments & Fraud Management Summit
Faster Payments Council Fall Member Meeting
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
From Skepticism to Strategy: Convincing Banks That Instant Payments Matter
A few years ago, while leading real-time payments at FIS Global, I uncovered a huge knowledge gap—75% of banks didn’t even know what instant payments were, let alone how to implement them. Financial institutions were skeptical, resistant, and overwhelmed by legacy systems.
Rather than just pushing technology, Ishifted the conversation. Instead of asking, “Are you ready for instant payments?”, I asked, “How much does it cost you when payments don’t move instantly?” That one question changed everything. It opened up discussions about cash flow, customer expectations, and operational inefficiencies.
Through education, strategic guidance, and playbooks for implementation, I help banks go from confused to committed, navigating them from idea to delivery.
Key takeaway: Change happens when you shift the conversation from technology to business impact.
Origin Story
My Why: Bridging the Gap in Payments Modernization
Two years ago, I launched my consulting practice to help financial institutions and fintechs harness instant payments as the first step in their payments modernization journey. Working across the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, I’ve become known globally as the “Instant Payments Maven”—because I don’t just talk about payments innovation; I help banks and fintechs put it into action.
My journey started while leading the launch of real-time payments at a global fintech, where I made a surprising discovery—most financial institutions didn’t fully understand instant payments or the transformative impact they could have. They saw it as just another payment rail, rather than a strategic enabler for customer retention, cash flow management, and new business models.
The reality was stark:
* 78% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck
* 82% of small businesses fail due to cash flow challenges
* 33% of large businesses still rely on checks
Instant payments—with its precision timing, control, and rich data—wasn’t just about speed; it was a lifeline for businesses and consumers alike. That’s when I realized my mission: to help financial institutions stay relevant by using instant payments as a tool for financial empowerment.
Through my consulting practice, I equip banks and fintechs with the strategies, knowledge, and tools they need to innovate, compete, and serve their customers in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Because in the end, payments modernization isn’t just about technology—it’s about people, businesses, and the future of financial services.
Example talks
Instant payments as the low-hanging fruit to payments modernization: How Financial Institutions Can Take Their First Strategic Step Toward Composable Architecture
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the demands of modernization, uncertain where to begin, or frustrated by experts who “don’t get it”—you’re not alone. Between AI, ISO 20022, cloud migration, fraud risks, and new customer demands, staying current can feel impossible.
But what if your next step didn’t have to be complex or high risk?
Instant payments aren’t just a faster rail—they’re the low-hanging fruit that unlocks real momentum. This session, led by globally recognized strategist and Instant Payments Maven Marcia Klingensmith, will show how instant payments serve as the launchpad for modernization:
* Not just speed: how this rail enables customer retention, operational efficiency, and new revenue
* Why many FIs partner with third-party providers to abstract their core, enabling real-time data, cloud-based APIs, and security layers
* How this approach sets the foundation for composable banking architecture—without the pain of rip-and-replace
* How banks use this strategic wedge to incrementally migrate capabilities and gain negotiating leverage with their core
You’ll also explore how instant payments help financial institutions deliver precision control to their communities—consumers, gig workers, and businesses alike—while navigating constant change with clarity and confidence.
If you’ve felt adrift in the modernization journey, this session is your map.
Key Takeaways:
* What instant payments really are, and how they fit into global modernization trends.
* Why instant payments are a strategic lever for cloud transformation and modular design.
* How to help your community thrive with transparent, real-time payment control.
* A phased roadmap to modernization that’s low-risk, high-impact, and future-proof.
* How to stay ahead in a fast-moving, expert-confusing space—without feeling at sea.
Format Options:
This session can be delivered in a variety of formats to meet the needs of your audience, for example:
* 30-minute or 1-hour virtual presentation
* Executive keynote or panel contribution
* Facilitated roundtable discussion for policy or payments committees
* Hands-on workshop with readiness exercises and scenario planning
Each version is tailored to align with audience sophistication—from strategic leaders to operational teams.
Stablecoins & the Future of Banking: Risks, Rails, and Readiness
Stablecoins have quickly moved from the fringe of finance to the forefront of policymaker and boardroom discussions. With bipartisan legislation on the table and enterprise use cases quietly expanding, financial institutions face a growing imperative: understand the strategic implications—or risk falling behind.
In this timely, forward-looking session, payments modernization expert Marcia Klingensmith (the Instant Payments Maven™) unpacks what stablecoins mean for banks, credit unions, and the broader payments ecosystem. She demystifies the regulatory landscape, explores real-world use cases, and shares how banks can prepare their infrastructure, operations, and risk posture for a stablecoin-enabled future.
Whether you're skeptical or intrigued, this session provides a grounded, pragmatic look at how to position your institution to respond—and lead.
Learning Objectives:
* Demystify the evolving policy landscape around stablecoins, including upcoming federal legislation and the potential roles of the SEC, CFTC, and state regulators.
* Understand the operational implications of integrating stablecoins into banking systems—ranging from payments hubs to core systems and routing logic.
* Explore real-world, high-trust use cases for stablecoins in B2B payments, treasury operations, and disbursements.
* Evaluate the risks and trade-offs around deposit displacement, systemic risk, custody models, and wallet interoperability.
* Equip your institution with a readiness framework to assess use cases, build optionality into your tech stack, and engage with regulators and partners proactively.
AI-Powered Payments Modernization: Where automation, reconciliation, and personalization intersect.
In an era where speed is the minimum and intelligence is the differentiator, financial institutions are feeling the pressure to modernize—or be left behind. But true payments transformation isn't just about faster transactions. It's about reimagining the way we operate, reconcile, and serve customers—powered by AI.
This session dives into the next frontier of modernization: using AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic enabler across the payments value chain. From automating back-office tasks and enhancing reconciliation accuracy to delivering hyper-personalized experiences in real-time, we’ll explore how financial institutions can integrate AI to drive both efficiency and differentiation.
Drawing from 20+ years leading payment innovation at Visa, Bank of America, and FIS, Marcia Klingensmith—known across the industry as the Instant Payments Maven™—brings real-world insights, future-focused strategies, and a framework for leaders ready to unlock the full potential of intelligent payments.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
* Identify high-impact use cases for AI in your payments modernization roadmap
* Reframe compliance and reconciliation pain points as automation opportunities
* Leverage ISO 20022 and instant payments rails as AI fuel, not friction
* Personalize customer interactions with predictive insights
* Build momentum with a phased strategy that scales
Whether you're a fintech innovator or a legacy institution looking for your next move, this session will leave you energized, equipped, and ready to modernize with purpose.
Out in the Open: Financial Institutions (Credit Unions / Banks ) Embrace APIs for Greater Financial Empowerment
In this compelling session, Marcia Klingensmith, globally known as the "Instant Payments Maven," decodes the transformative power of APIs and open banking for credit unions. This dynamic presentation bridges the gap between traditional financial models and modern innovations, illustrating how APIs empower credit unions to enhance member experiences and achieve greater financial inclusion.
Marcia will share:
• The Fundamentals of Open Banking: What open banking is, how it transforms credit union operations, and why it’s critical for U.S. financial institutions.
• Global Comparisons: A dive into how the U.S. approach to open banking compares to Europe and other regions, highlighting unique challenges and opportunities.
• APIs and Instant Payments: How APIs and real-time data sharing can unlock new fraud prevention methods, drive financial inclusion, improve member experiences and drive revenue growth.
• Actionable Use Cases: Real-world examples of credit unions leveraging APIs to modernize services, monetize data and remain competitive in a fast-evolving market.
Marcia’s engaging and insightful presentation will provide attendees with the foundational knowledge needed to explore deeper use cases and tackle challenges associated with payments modernization and API adoption.
This session will equip financial institution leaders to understand the strategic role of APIs and open banking in driving financial empowerment. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to foster innovation, build resilience and transform their institutions for the future.
Unlocking Business Value from ISO 20022: Using rich data for automation, fraud detection, and customer experience
ISO 20022 is more than just a data standard—it’s a catalyst for operational transformation. In this eye-opening session, Marcia Klingensmith, a sought-after strategist and global keynote speaker, takes the mystery out of ISO 20022 and replaces it with a powerful, practical vision: how to turn structured data into a strategic asset that boosts efficiency, cuts costs, and enhances every customer interaction.
With over two decades at institutions like Visa, Bank of America, and FIS, Marcia demystifies the complexity and shows how leading banks are already using ISO 20022 to fuel automation, fraud detection, and personalized service delivery. She shares actionable insights, case studies, and proven frameworks that help operations leaders see ISO 20022 not as a compliance burden—but as a launchpad for smarter, faster, safer banking.
Whether you’re just starting your migration or looking to optimize post-implementation, this session equips you to capture the full business value of your data.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the real business case for ISO 20022—beyond compliance—focusing on efficiency, risk mitigation, and growth.
2. Explore how structured, rich payment data enables intelligent automation, faster reconciliation, and improved exception handling.
3. Learn how ISO 20022 fuels fraud prevention through enhanced visibility into payment purpose, counterparties, and anomalies.
4. Discover ways to personalize the customer experience using enriched data fields, enabling smarter onboarding, segmentation, and service.
5. Gain actionable strategies to move from data migration to data monetization—linking ISO 20022 with APIs, AI, and payments modernization roadmaps.