An honest, occasionally goofy recap from Travillian’s Amber Buker and Brian Love on what May’s biggest banking and fintech conferences revealed about talent, stablecoin, M&A, and the road ahead…
CEO Matthew Smith on Building Rhinebeck Bank’s Next 160 Years
Rhinebeck Bank CEO Matthew Smith on Community Banking, Open Architecture, and the Next 160 Years…
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Travillian’s Amber Buker Heads to S&P Global’s Community Bankers Conference: Nichols, LeBlanc, and Vansia on Stablecoin, Ownership, and the Talent Stack
Each spring, bank and fintech professionals take to the road for a whirlwind tour of…
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“We Don’t Carry Any Dead Weight” — Inside Five Star Bank’s Financial Engine with CFO Heather Luck (Part 2)
In Part 2 of our on-location series, Five Star Bank EVP & CFO Heather Luck unpacks the financial discipline behind the bank’s growth, from outsized CRE concentrations and a falling cost of funds to a low-40s efficiency ratio at a place she says “doesn’t carry any dead weight.”
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“A Sales Organization Masquerading as a Bank” — Inside Five Star Bank’s Culture-First (Part 1)
Michael Rizzo on how Five Star Bank built a nationwide mobile home park vertical from one referral and protects a “never-quit” culture at scale…
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The Latest
Banking the Nation: Huntington Bank Executives on the $26B Federal Contracting Opportunity in Indian Country
From dismantling misconceptions about tribal creditworthiness and sovereignty to uncovering a $26 billion federal contracting ecosystem most bankers have never heard of…
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Banking the Nation: Huntington Bank Executives on the $26B Federal Contracting Opportunity in Indian Country
From dismantling misconceptions about tribal creditworthiness and sovereignty to uncovering a $26 billion federal contracting ecosystem most bankers have never heard of…
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Fight Like Heck to Stay Independent: How First Mid Bank & Trust Built a $9 Billion Community Banking Powerhouse
How First Mid Bank & Trust scaled to $9 billion by pairing disciplined M&A, long-term relationships, and a leadership strategy built for independence…
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Fight Like Heck to Stay Independent: How First Mid Bank & Trust Built a $9 Billion Community Banking Powerhouse
How First Mid Bank & Trust scaled to $9 billion by pairing disciplined M&A, long-term relationships, and a leadership strategy built for independence…
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What Sets the Industry’s Highest-Valued Banks Apart | Deposits, Discipline, and Differentiation
A closer look at why some banks command premium valuations, and how strategy, not just profitability, separates them from the pack…
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What Sets the Industry’s Highest-Valued Banks Apart | Deposits, Discipline, and Differentiation
A closer look at why some banks command premium valuations, and how strategy, not just profitability, separates them from the pack…
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Balance Sheet Truths from Piper Sandler’s Scott Hildebrand, The Hardest Working Man in “Bank Land”
Scott Hildenbrand on Balance Sheet Strategy, Bank Boards, and Market Volatility Travillian’s Brian Love, Head of Banking and Fintech, and…
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Balance Sheet Truths from Piper Sandler’s Scott Hildebrand, The Hardest Working Man in “Bank Land”
Scott Hildenbrand on Balance Sheet Strategy, Bank Boards, and Market Volatility Travillian’s Brian Love, Head of Banking and Fintech, and…
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How Community Banks Can Build Stronger and More Diverse Bank Boards — Jennifer Docherty, Founder of Bank on Women
Jennifer Docherty of Bank on Women breaks down the structural dynamics that shape how directors are recruited, the research behind why reaching…
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How Community Banks Can Build Stronger and More Diverse Bank Boards — Jennifer Docherty, Founder of Bank on Women
Jennifer Docherty of Bank on Women breaks down the structural dynamics that shape how directors are recruited, the research behind why reaching…
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Winning the War for Talent: Why Compensation Strategy Matters More Than Ever
As competition for producers intensifies, Mike Higgins breaks down the shift away from bonus “parades” and toward a “Bank of One” model…
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Winning the War for Talent: Why Compensation Strategy Matters More Than Ever
As competition for producers intensifies, Mike Higgins breaks down the shift away from bonus “parades” and toward a “Bank of One” model…
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Beyond the Hype: Stephens’ Chuck Nabhan on the “Fact vs. Fiction” of Fintech Valuations
Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Chuck Nabhan, Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst…
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Beyond the Hype: Stephens’ Chuck Nabhan on the “Fact vs. Fiction” of Fintech Valuations
Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Chuck Nabhan, Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst…
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Record Loans, Shrinking Opportunity: Where Ag Banking Still Works
This analysis explores how inflation, carryover debt, and tightening liquidity are reshaping ag lending performance and M&A appetite…
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Record Loans, Shrinking Opportunity: Where Ag Banking Still Works
This analysis explores how inflation, carryover debt, and tightening liquidity are reshaping ag lending performance and M&A appetite…
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The Technology Takeover in the Desert: An AOBA Recap with Andrew Liesch, Travillian’s Head of Bank Strategy
Bank Director’s Acquire or Be Acquired has long been known as the industry’s marquee M&A conference. But this year in…
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The Technology Takeover in the Desert: An AOBA Recap with Andrew Liesch, Travillian’s Head of Bank Strategy
Bank Director’s Acquire or Be Acquired has long been known as the industry’s marquee M&A conference. But this year in…
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Where to Find Outsized Returns in Bank Land (Hint: Look for Differentiated Stories)
Why Some Banks Outperformed in 2025 Throughout January, I had several management teams ask me what drove some banks to…
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Where to Find Outsized Returns in Bank Land (Hint: Look for Differentiated Stories)
Why Some Banks Outperformed in 2025 Throughout January, I had several management teams ask me what drove some banks to…
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Culture as a Talent Magnet: How Pathward Earned an 84% Employee Satisfaction Score
Pathward’s culture-first approach has become a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top banking talent…
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Culture as a Talent Magnet: How Pathward Earned an 84% Employee Satisfaction Score
Pathward’s culture-first approach has become a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top banking talent…
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The “Easy Button” for Digital Assets: How Custodia and Vantage Are Rewriting Payments for Community Banks
The discussion dives deep into the GENIUS Act, the rise of tokenized deposits, and the launch of a new bank-led consortium…
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The “Easy Button” for Digital Assets: How Custodia and Vantage Are Rewriting Payments for Community Banks
The discussion dives deep into the GENIUS Act, the rise of tokenized deposits, and the launch of a new bank-led consortium…
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3 Takeaways from the Recent Surge in Bank M&A and 1 Forecast (Plus Deal-Related Stock Ideas for 2026!)
Bank M&A Activity Is Increasing as Regulatory and Economic Frictions Ease The bank M&A environment is on fire! In 4Q25 alone, there…
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3 Takeaways from the Recent Surge in Bank M&A and 1 Forecast (Plus Deal-Related Stock Ideas for 2026!)
Bank M&A Activity Is Increasing as Regulatory and Economic Frictions Ease The bank M&A environment is on fire! In 4Q25 alone, there…
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All I Want for Christmas is a Strategic CFO: Community Bank & Fintech Talent Advice from Travillian
What 2025 Revealed About Community Bank Talent 2025 was anything but predictable for community banks navigating the talent market. Early…
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All I Want for Christmas is a Strategic CFO: Community Bank & Fintech Talent Advice from Travillian
What 2025 Revealed About Community Bank Talent 2025 was anything but predictable for community banks navigating the talent market. Early…
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The Long Game of Bank M&A: Janney and D.A. Davidson on Diligence, Culture, and What Comes Next
From Deal Volume to Deal Quality: What’s Driving Today’s Bank M&A After years of regulatory drag, valuation gaps, and general…
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The Long Game of Bank M&A: Janney and D.A. Davidson on Diligence, Culture, and What Comes Next
From Deal Volume to Deal Quality: What’s Driving Today’s Bank M&A After years of regulatory drag, valuation gaps, and general…
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Democratizing Derivatives: How Exchange-Traded Swap Futures Are Opening Doors for Community Banks
Why Community Banks Have Been Locked Out of Derivatives and Interest Rate Risk Hedging The most prominent promise of fintech…
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Democratizing Derivatives: How Exchange-Traded Swap Futures Are Opening Doors for Community Banks
Why Community Banks Have Been Locked Out of Derivatives and Interest Rate Risk Hedging The most prominent promise of fintech…
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Turning AI into Your Small Business CFO: A Conversation with Narmi and Grasshopper Bank
How AI Is Replacing Manual Small Business Financial Work Hosted by Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian,…
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Turning AI into Your Small Business CFO: A Conversation with Narmi and Grasshopper Bank
How AI Is Replacing Manual Small Business Financial Work Hosted by Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian,…
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What Generalist Investors Miss: Piper Sandler’s Stephen Scouten on Bank Performance, Credit, and M&A
This episode brings together host Andrew Liesch, Head of Bank Strategy at Travillian, and Stephen Scouten, Managing Director and Senior…
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What Generalist Investors Miss: Piper Sandler’s Stephen Scouten on Bank Performance, Credit, and M&A
This episode brings together host Andrew Liesch, Head of Bank Strategy at Travillian, and Stephen Scouten, Managing Director and Senior…
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Building Brotherly Love: Ira Robbins and Brent Beardall on Leadership, Vulnerability, and Fighting for Community Banking
Valley National Bank and WaFd Bank Leadership Ira Robbins and Brent Beardall take their roles representing the banking industry seriously.…
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Building Brotherly Love: Ira Robbins and Brent Beardall on Leadership, Vulnerability, and Fighting for Community Banking
Valley National Bank and WaFd Bank Leadership Ira Robbins and Brent Beardall take their roles representing the banking industry seriously.…
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A Share Liquidity Tool for Private Banks: Inside the My Private Shares Platform
As privately held banks navigate increasing complexity around shareholder management, one platform is helping them modernize without giving up control.…
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A Share Liquidity Tool for Private Banks: Inside the My Private Shares Platform
As privately held banks navigate increasing complexity around shareholder management, one platform is helping them modernize without giving up control.…
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3 Actionable Takeaways on AI for Community Bank Executives
Much like the introduction of the internet in the mid-1990s and the smartphone revolution 15 years ago, AI has the…
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3 Actionable Takeaways on AI for Community Bank Executives
Much like the introduction of the internet in the mid-1990s and the smartphone revolution 15 years ago, AI has the…
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Inside the Quiet War for Deposits: How Fulton Financial Is Playing the Long Game
In April 2024, Fulton Financial Corporation executed one of the year’s most compelling and forward-thinking bank acquisitions. The Pennsylvania-based lender…
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Inside the Quiet War for Deposits: How Fulton Financial Is Playing the Long Game
In April 2024, Fulton Financial Corporation executed one of the year’s most compelling and forward-thinking bank acquisitions. The Pennsylvania-based lender…
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Four Hard Truths About Staying Independent in 2025
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, community bankers anticipated a swift rollback of regulatory burdens…
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Four Hard Truths About Staying Independent in 2025
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, community bankers anticipated a swift rollback of regulatory burdens…
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The New Banking Playbook: Three Themes from the NEXT Forum
Last week, more than 150 bank executives and investors filled Lincoln Hall on the second floor of the Philadelphia Union…
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The New Banking Playbook: Three Themes from the NEXT Forum
Last week, more than 150 bank executives and investors filled Lincoln Hall on the second floor of the Philadelphia Union…
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What Banks Can Learn from EVP Rick Geloff and Bank of North Dakota’s Innovation Strategy
Host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Rick Geloff, EVP of Bank of North Dakota, to…
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What Banks Can Learn from EVP Rick Geloff and Bank of North Dakota’s Innovation Strategy
Host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Rick Geloff, EVP of Bank of North Dakota, to…
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Invictus Group & CFG Bank: Turning Stress Tests into Capital Planning
Host Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Zach Boyda, Treasurer at CFG Bank, and…
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Invictus Group & CFG Bank: Turning Stress Tests into Capital Planning
Host Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Zach Boyda, Treasurer at CFG Bank, and…
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5 Areas of Focus for Bank Stocks in the Coming Months
What a difference a few months can make! In the weeks following April earnings conference calls, the banking industry shifted…
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5 Areas of Focus for Bank Stocks in the Coming Months
What a difference a few months can make! In the weeks following April earnings conference calls, the banking industry shifted…
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Academy Bank on Laying the Foundation for a Fast BaaS Market Entry
Travillian Next host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with David Robinson, Director of Fintech and Embedded…
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Academy Bank on Laying the Foundation for a Fast BaaS Market Entry
Travillian Next host Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with David Robinson, Director of Fintech and Embedded…
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Travillian Next, launched in early 2020, is dedicated to producing original, behind-the-scenes content for the banking & fintech industries.
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