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Pathward’s Anthony Sharett on why sponsor banking’s future is about evolution, not revolution

After 20 years in sponsor banking, Pathward president Anthony Sharett argues that successful bank-fintech partnerships require the right people, multi-threaded opportunities, and true co-creation.
While over 100 banks now call themselves sponsor banks, Suro believes the next frontier lies in AI, embedded finance, and educating all stakeholders about what's possible.

Zack Miller | February 11, 2026

Pathward’s Anthony Sharett on why sponsor banking’s future is about evolution, not revolution

Sponsor banking has become one of the most scrutinized business models in financial services. The headlines focus on enforcement actions and regulatory pressure, but behind that noise is a more interesting question: when done right, how do bank-fintech partnerships actually expand financial access to people the traditional system has left behind?

My guest today is Anthony Sharett, President of Pathward. Before joining Pathward he led Nationwide Pet Insurance and served as Interim President of Nationwide Bank. At Pathward, his mission is powering financial inclusion through partnerships with fintechs and platform companies.

We’re going to talk about how the sponsor banking model actually works, what makes these partnerships succeed or fail, and why Anthony believes these relationships are essential to expanding financial access beyond what traditional banks can reach on their own.