Sai Kailash
Product Manager, Instant Payments
Cross River
Biography
Sai is a Product Manager at Cross River Bank, overseeing RTP, FedNow, ACH, Wire Transfers, and International Payments. Over the past two years, Sai has launched FedNow and International Payments while optimizing and scaling RTP, ACH, and Wire services.
Actively shaping the payments industry, Sai contributes to work groups within TCH, the Federal Reserve, and the Faster Payments Council, including the Operational Considerations for Instant & Immediate Payments and Business Benefits of B2B Instant Payments groups. Sai has also co-authored industry publications and written blogs on Cross River’s website, offering insights on RTP vs. FedNow and the international payments market.
Currently, Sai is leading two critical initiatives: the ISO 20022 migration for FedWire and the implementation of Request for Payment (RfP) functionality for RTP, driving innovation and efficiency in the payments ecosystem.
How is the nominee propelling the industry forward?
Sai has been instrumental in driving payments innovation through strategic product management and industry leadership. Since taking ownership of Instant Payments in January 2023, Sai has led significant volume growth, launched the bank’s FedNow Service, and expanded ACH capabilities to better serve businesses and consumers.
His work has streamlined transaction efficiency, optimized costs, and ensured regulatory compliance while expanding real-time payment adoption. Sai has also played a key role in enabling gig economy payouts, B2B transactions, crypto payments, gaming payments, marketplace lending, and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions—helping shape the evolving payments landscape.
Beyond his organization, Sai actively collaborates with The Clearing House (TCH), the Federal Reserve, and the Faster Payments Council. He contributes to industry workgroups, including the Operational Considerations for Instant & Immediate Payments Work Group and the Business Benefits of B2B Instant Payments Work Group, driving industry-wide advancements. In recognition of his impact, Sai received the Rising Star Award from the NJ Bankers Association (2024) for his contributions to faster payments innovation. His leadership continues to shape the future of financial services, ensuring secure, scalable, and inclusive payment solutions.
Where do you see the nominee succeeding in the future?
Sai is dedicated to advancing real-time payments by enhancing interoperability, increasing adoption, and driving industry innovation. This includes improving RTP and FedNow interoperability, simplifying network selection, and enabling seamless transactions across both systems. A key focus is expanding Request for Payment (RfP) adoption by increasing industry use cases and engagement. Additionally, Sai aims to support cross-border instant payments through TCH’s international initiatives to enhance global financial access. Separately, Sai is leading the ISO 20022 migration for FedWire to standardize payment messaging and improve efficiency, while also driving FedNow adoption to expand transaction volume and strengthen the network. Through these efforts, Sai remains committed to making real-time payments more accessible, scalable, and widely adopted across the financial ecosystem.