Alenka Grealish
Alenka has over 30 years of consulting and research experience in the banking industry with deep expertise in payments, transaction banking, and commercial banking. Her research focus is emerging tech, including AI/machine learning and blockchain/digital assets. She co-leads generative AI research across Celent. Within corporate banking, she analyzes innovation in treasury management services, trade finance, working capital finance, and the implications for customer journeys and experiences across segments. In addition, she examines the transformation of small business banking, including the digitization of the financial supply chain, fintech trends and players, and the potential for new business and revenue models. Ms. Grealish has advised top banks on their business and technology strategies. Her consulting work has included the development of a growth strategy for the treasury management business of a leading North American bank, examination of cross-border growth opportunities in treasury management for a top European bank, and the identification and evaluation of opportunities to enable small to medium-sized businesses to automate their payment processes. Ms. Grealish has been widely quoted in the media including Bloomberg News , Financial Times, and the Associated Press . She has given presentations at numerous conferences including Bank Administration Institute events, the NACHA Payments Conference, and the Association of Financial Professionals events. Ms. Grealish worked for The Boston Consulting Group for a total of 20 years. Prior to rejoining Celent, she was BCG's global segment manager for transaction banking and payments. She started her career as an associate economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Ms. Grealish earned her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, graduating Beta Gamma Sigma. She received her BA from Northwestern University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with superior honors in economics.
Gareth Lodge
Gareth's research focuses on Payments. As part of the payments team, his prime focus is on corporate payments, working closely with his colleagues in the Corporate Banking team. He is a leading expert on: bank payment processing, and is the analyst who has been covering payment services hubs the longest in the industry; payment networks and infrastructures, including Swift, ACH and Wires; and real-time payments, a topic he has been active in since 2006, and has worked in on almost every continent. Gareth has been widely quoted in the media, including American Banker , New York Times and BBC News , and is a frequent speaker at such events as Sibos, EBADay, NACHA Payments, as well as private events around the world. Prior to Celent, Gareth worked for Secura Monde International, a leading cash consultancy; as Regional Research Director of European Payments at TowerGroup; and in corporate strategy at VocaLink Ltd, the UK ACH and ATM network. Gareth has a Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying from the University of Portsmouth, and a Post-Graduate Degree in Information Science from the University of North London.
Colin Kerr
Colin heads Celent’s Banking and Payments practice. His research and consulting work primarily covers corporate banking and payments, and draws on a career in product management and technology leadership. Based in Chicago, Colin engages clients around the world. Topics include market and technology strategy for corporate digital channels, treasury and cash management, technology transformation, and managing data as a strategic asset for AI-enhanced products. Colin’s experience has been forged at global banks and technology firms in Europe and the United States. Before joining Celent in 2022, Colin was a technology executive for digital channels at Bank of America, where he led development of digital cash management and analytics solutions for global transaction banking. Prior to that, as a solutions director for worldwide financial services at Microsoft, Colin successfully developed banking industry and partner growth strategies at a time when technology vendors and banks began transitioning to cloud computing. Colin’s career started in the UK with a progression of operations and payments technology roles at HSBC, a wholesale banking Fintech, and ABN AMRO Bank’s Global Transaction Services group in North America. Colin holds a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) accreditation from the Association for Financial Professionals and often contributes to industry publications and conferences.