The 5 Structural Forces Reshaping Financial Services in 2026 & Beyond

From AI and fintech competition to rapidly evolving consumer expectations, financial institution leaders are navigating one of the most transformative periods the industry has seen in decades.

SRM’s newly released 2026 Industry Outlook Report examines the structural forces reshaping the financial services industry, and how they have fundamentally changed how financial institutions will grow, compete, and deliver value in the future.

In this webinar, we’ll take a closer look at the report’s key insights, including:

• Why industry consolidation is accelerating, and what it means for community institutions
• How consumer expectations for personalization and digital experiences are evolving
• The growing impact of AI, data, and emerging technologies on financial services
• Why payments are becoming the front line of customer engagement

Mark Sievewright brings more than 30 years of financial services experience, advising credit unions on strategy, growth, and mergers. He has led consulting engagements for institutions ranging from $250M to $53B in assets and is a recognized industry thought leader and award recipient.

Mark has held senior leadership roles at HSBC, MasterCard International, Payment Systems Inc., TowerGroup (now part of Gartner), and Fiserv. In 2022, his firm, Sievewright & Associates, was acquired by SRM.

Casey Merolla brings over 20 years of financial services consulting experience, helping institutions navigate strategic, operational, and technology challenges. She specializes in payments, digital innovation, vendor strategy, and growth initiatives, partnering with clients to implement emerging solutions and optimize performance.

Her work spans strategic sourcing, card growth, fraud operations, and product development, supporting credit unions, fintechs, and payment networks. Prior to joining SRM, she led Payments Strategy and Innovation at Accenture and spent 15 years with First Annapolis Consulting. Casey holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a BS from UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce.

Steve Shaw is Managing Director, Strategic Marketing at SRM and will serve as moderator for this webinar.

With more than 25 years of experience leading marketing and communications initiatives across the banking, payments, and data services industries, Steve brings deep industry perspective to the conversation. Prior to joining SRM, he held marketing and communications leadership roles at Fiserv, Facteus, EverCommerce, and Euronet.