Managing Director, Global Payments Solutions
Bank of America
Anand Natarajan is a Managing Director and Treasury Sales Officer at Bank of America in the Insurance & Specialty Finance team, where he partners with card networks, third-party payment processors, and fintechs to design and scale global payment and collection solutions. He brings over 18 years of experience across treasury, payments, and transaction banking.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Anand was Head of Cash Management Sales for Technology and Fintech at Standard Chartered in San Francisco, working closely with high-growth platforms and global networks across the U.S., EMEA, and Asia. He began his career at Deutsche Bank, spending 12 years in Corporate and Transaction Banking before moving to Standard Chartered in 2019.
Merchant payments are being reshaped by open-banking rails, embedded finance, and real-time settlement. As merchants demand faster, cheaper, and more integrated payments experiences, banks must rethink their role, from traditional acquirers to data-driven, platform-based partners. This panel unpacks the new economics of merchant payments: the rise of Pay-by-Bank, buy now, pay later (BNPL) regulation, AI-driven fraud management, and the expanding role of embedded finance. Hear from leading banks, fintech innovators, and merchants on how business models, infrastructure, and customer expectations are changing—and what strategies are required for banks to stay relevant in 2026 and beyond. The panel will discuss key factors transformation, including: