Strategy consulting for payments and consumer lending

Who We Are

Echo Lake Strategy is a boutique consulting firm focused exclusively on payments and consumer lending. It was launched with the goal of delivering senior-level advisory without the overhead of a larger firm.

Echo Lake Strategy is run by Francis Murray, a strategy veteran with deep industry knowledge and a long track record advising some of the nation’s leading companies. His background includes:

  • Corporate strategy experience from two leading U.S. banks, most recently as the Strategy lead for JPMorganChase’s credit card business

  • Management consulting at EY-Parthenon

  • MBA with distinction from NYU Stern, BA from Connecticut College

Who We Serve

We serve clients across the payments and lending landscape, from incumbent players through growth-stage fintechs

Retail banks and lenders working to scale portfolios, sharpen competitive position, or improve returns

Banks & Lenders

Processors, platforms, and technology providers navigating expansion plans, go-to-market, and product economics

Platforms & Infrastructure

Retailers, travel brands, and loyalty-driven companies building or rethinking co-brand cards, embedded lending, or rewards programs

Consumer Brands

What We Do

We deliver value across three core pillars, based on each organization’s goals

Grow

Expand your business and grow your top line

  • Product launch and expansion

  • New market or segment entry

  • Go-to-market strategy

  • Emerging payments and lending product evaluation

Compete

Rapidly adapt to shifting market conditions

  • Competitive benchmarking and differentiation

  • Market disruption strategy

  • Regulatory planning and response

  • Pricing strategy

Optimize

Improve performance and reduce expense

  • Product and portfolio economics

  • Process improvement

  • Operating model effectiveness

  • AI strategy and enablement

Select Experience

Francis has led a range of complex projects across the major issues facing payments and lending today

    • Affluent and high-net-worth

    • Starter and new-to-credit

    • Subprime and near-prime

    • Small business

    • Regulatory readiness

    • Alternative lending products

    • Fintech card issuers

    • Emerging card models

    • Generative AI and agentic commerce

    • Digital assets and blockchain

    • Alternative underwriting and credit innovation

    • Virtual cards

    • Rewards programs

    • Acquisition marketing

    • Authorized user programs

    • Product upgrades

Aerial view of ocean waves crashing onto a dark sandy beach

Industry Depth: Focused expertise in payments and lending, not generalist strategy applied from the outside

Operator Perspective: Built from years working inside banks, with a practical sense for what a large organization can actually execute

Efficient Delivery: Insight and action over presentation, with modern tooling automating routine work

Our Difference