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Behind the Vault

Behind the Vault

Mindspan Systems

Welcome to Behind the Vault: Conversations with Customer-Driven Bankers, the podcast dedicated to empowering CEOs, Presidents, and CMOs in the community banking and credit union industry. In this digital era, your role as a leader in these financial institutions is more crucial than ever. Join us as we explore the stories, strategies, and successes of fellow industry leaders, providing you with actionable insights to drive your institution toward unparalleled success. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.mindspaninc.com/podcast-guest.
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Top 10 Behind the Vault Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Behind the Vault episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Behind the Vault for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Behind the Vault episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

In this episode, we dive deep with Sandy Spring Bank's Chief Digital Officer Chris Orr and Director of Omni-Channel Strategy Jeff Weidley as they share their journey of leading digital transformation at a $14B institution. Through their unique paired leadership approach, Chris and Jeff reveal how they've orchestrated comprehensive changes in digital banking capabilities while maintaining focus on customer experience. They discuss the evolution of their technology stack, the challenges of post-pandemic modernization, and their innovative approach to in-house software development. The conversation illuminates how executive leadership, organizational alignment, and continuous customer feedback create the foundation for successful digital transformation.

Key topics from our conversation:

  • Integration and platform orchestration for enhanced customer experience
  • Building and scaling in-house software development capabilities
  • Managing organizational change across departments and reporting structures
  • Leveraging monthly releases for continuous improvement
  • Balancing legacy stability with digital innovation

Whether you're a banking executive, IT strategist, or financial services professional, this episode offers valuable insights into how a 150-year-old institution successfully navigates the challenges of digital transformation while maintaining its commitment to customer service excellence.

For more info:


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The operative word in community banking is community. Sometimes, a community extends beyond a local geography. OneUnited is an example of a community financial institution that has evolved to meet this definition of community. With over $600M in assets, OneUnited is the largest black-owned bank in the US. It leverages technology and its unique approach to banking to serve a distinct community of customers across the country.

Highlights from this episode:

The strategy that drove a string of acquisitions to the bank's footprint today

Overcoming distrust in banking and getting past perceptions of the 2008 financial crisis

Their use of technology to unify operations across the bank and deliver a modern digital experience for customers

OneUnited's structure as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and how that aligns with and enables their mission

The critical role education plays in the bank's approach to service

OneUnited's approach to sustainable CRA activities

For more info on OneUnited and Teri's story, visit OneUnited.com.

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Sometimes, the name says it all. This week, we speak with Lex Ford, President and Director of Climate First Bank. A Central Florida de novo bank started in 2021, Climate First aims to use banking to reduce atmospheric CO2. But the bank isn't just for those looking to work with like-minded businesses. Lex shares the organization's philosophy and approach to internal alignment and bringing as much of their community along with them.

Highlights from our discussion:

Climate First's origins and unique structuring as a B Corp

The bank's approach to branch development and use of LEED certification

Creating bespoke solutions like loan origination software to speed the financing of solar projects

Why they cater to traditional fossil fuel customers

Using their own annual reports as impact statements and an example of accountability and transparency

To learn more, visit https://climatefirstbank.com

The bank's annual impact statement: https://www.climatefirstbank.com/our-impact

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In this episode, Laura Worzella, Chief Operating Officer of OneAZ Credit Union, discusses building a strategy for long-term success based on market and demographic trends. From slow-moving generational shifts in population to the rapid changes new industries can bring to a region, staying ahead of your community's evolving needs can be difficult. Laura shares OneAZ's insights and approach to doing just that with the changing face of America's Southwest.

Highlight from our discussion:

The unique demographic shifts in Arizona

The growing industrial and SMB

How all of these factors influence expansion and technology investment

Implementing Agile as a business philosophy

Internal organization to reduce friction

OneAZ's website: https://www.oneazcu.com/

Their community partnership examples: https://www.oneazcu.com/about/news/2023/oneaz-credit-union-partners-with-novle-community-activators-to-better-serve-latino-community/

Their SMB partnership with State Forty Eight Clothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEj_w7zcQ4c

Laura's profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-worzella-65288ab/

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In this episode, we hear the story of the turnaround of a 100+ year-old institution with Dave Lamb, Chairman, President, and CEO of Michigan's Oxford Bank. Dave shares his background and how it prepared him for his role in leading a struggling community bank, operating under a consent decree, into a growing and thriving institution. The Oxford Bank story demonstrates the overwhelming importance of culture, especially when faced with an existential threat. Dave shares his experience of coming in as an outsider in the middle of a crisis and the path Oxford took through a turnaround and into growth, including the process of discovering the right products and services needed by their customers. Oxford Bank provides a valuable case study for what's required to change the trajectory of a faltering organization.

Highlights:

00:00 Dave's journey to Oxford

04:00 Executing a turnaround at a community banks

14:22 Managing culture during new technology adoption

22:09 Expanding into commercial finance

30:41 Future options in non-traditional services

For more on Dave and Oxford Bank:

Oxfordbank.com

Dave's LinkedIn

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While every financial institution has education in its service model, differentiating on financial wellness requires a deliberate and sustained effort. In this episode, we hear from Bree Shellito of Colorado's Ent Credit Union. Bree shares Ent's history and playbook for scaling financial coaching from a small core team to all of their 500,000 members and community touchpoints.

Ent's model for coaching as both a member service and community support

Which 3rd party certifications were most useful to Ent, and how they create their training material

The difference in coaching Ent's own employees vs. their members

How Ent's team is organized, ensuring alignment of incentives and managing the currency or skills across 50 branches and community outreach teams

How Ent customizes their coaching experience and material and then measures success

For more on Ent's programs, visit: https://www.ent.com/education-center/

To join Bree's monthly financial wellness practitioner roundtable, visit here.

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In this episode, we hear from Jody Guetter, Chief Marketing Officer at Nymbus, about the lessons learned in consumer engagement from a career in consumer brand marketing, community banking, and fintech. Jody shares insights on the evolution of marketing roles in community banking, the importance of data-driven strategies for growth, and the often missed uses of technology in marketing. She delves into the verticalization strategy, illustrating how narrowing focus can expand market reach and improve service offerings. This episode offers valuable lessons on balancing risk, optimizing growth strategies, and leveraging data and technology for financial institutions.

Key topics from our conversation:

  • Transforming marketing from cost center to growth driver
  • Using data to understand and reach specific market segments
  • How vertical strategies can expand rather than limit growth
  • Building effective marketing technology stacks
  • Measuring marketing ROI in financial services

Whether you're a bank executive, credit union leader, or marketing professional, this episode offers valuable insights on creating focused growth strategies that deliver results.

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Orange County's Credit Union is much more than the municipality of its namesake. In the past five years, the Credit Union has undertaken a growth strategy, vastly expanding its Southern California presence and adopting a nationwide membership field for its digital banking channels. Kathy Jumper, President and CEO, shares with us the approach they are taking and how her wide and varied background in banking and credit unions informs their execution.

This episode is for anyone looking to understand the strategies driving growth in modern community financial institutions.

Highlights from our discussion:

From municipal employee credit union to a nationwide field of membership

Commercial real estate and business lending as a differentiator

The relative role digital plays in growth plans

The linchpin of digital account opening and self-service

A unique career spanning community and large banks and credit unions

The questions that will impact future success

For more info:

-Orange County's Credit Union

-Kathy's LinkedIn

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In this episode, Andrew Sagliocca, CEO of Esquire Bank, shares the unique journey of building a specialized bank focused on serving a narrowly defined customer. Andrew shares the challenges and strategies involved in differentiating their unique offerings and go-to-market strategy, including overcoming regulatory hurdles to develop tailored technology solutions. He provides insights into the bank's approach to understanding its target market, building trust with clients, and leveraging fintech partnerships to enhance its services.

Highlights/Topics:

  • Esquire Bank's origin and focus on the litigation vertical
  • Challenges in valuing and lending against contingent legal assets
  • The importance of understanding the legal industry's specific needs
  • The non-obvious expansion into merchant services and why it made perfect sense
  • The role of technology and customization in serving niche markets
  • Approach to fintech partnerships and cooperation vs. competition
  • Strategies for building trust and providing value beyond traditional banking services

Links discussed:

Esquire Bank

The group's investor relations and reports

Andrew Sagliocca's LinkedIn profile

Eric Bader's LinkedIn profile

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In this episode of Behind the Vault, we hear from Randell Leach, CEO of Beneficial State Bank. Beneficial State Bank is proving that banks can be profitable and purposeful. It has grown into a $1.5 billion CDFI while staying disciplined in the business it pursues and avoids and focused on accessibility to underserved communities in the US Northwest.

Key highlights from our conversation:

  • How Beneficial State Bank measures success through a triple-bottom-line approach
  • The unique challenges and opportunities of operating a mission-driven bank
  • Their approach to unionization efforts
  • Creating profitable growth while prioritizing community impact

This episode challenges conventional wisdom about banking and provides a blueprint for how financial institutions can drive positive change while maintaining strong financial performance.

Tune in to learn about:

  • Why they are structured as a for-profit bank owned by a nonprofit foundation
  • Balancing profitability with community development goals
  • How technology investments support both efficiency and accessibility
  • Measuring success beyond traditional banking metrics

Links:


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FAQ

How many episodes does Behind the Vault have?

Behind the Vault currently has 48 episodes available.

What topics does Behind the Vault cover?

The podcast is about Entrepreneurship, Investing, Podcasts and Business.

What is the most popular episode on Behind the Vault?

The episode title 'Consumer Behavior and Payments with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions' Gregg Margosian' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Behind the Vault?

The average episode length on Behind the Vault is 25 minutes.

How often are episodes of Behind the Vault released?

Episodes of Behind the Vault are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Behind the Vault?

The first episode of Behind the Vault was released on Jan 24, 2024.

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