Banking

Community bank independence — community bank leaders on staying independent amid industry consolidation
Banking

Fighting to Stay Independent: How 4 Bank CEOs Are Defending Community Banking

Four bank CEOs on what it really takes to stay independent — from First Mid’s disciplined M&A and Rhinebeck’s second-step conversion to Valley National and WaFd’s public case against too-big-to-fail…

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Community bank independence — community bank leaders on staying independent amid industry consolidation
Banking

Fighting to Stay Independent: How 4 Bank CEOs Are Defending Community Banking

Four bank CEOs on what it really takes to stay independent — from First Mid’s disciplined M&A and Rhinebeck’s second-step conversion to Valley National and WaFd’s public case against too-big-to-fail…

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Alex Treece of Stable Core and Brandon Hanson of Bank of Utah discuss community banking stablecoins on Travillian Next
Banking, Cryptocurrency, Digital Assets, Fintech, Strategy, Tech & Innovation

Community Banking’s Stablecoin Moment: Why Now Is the Time to Act

Stablecore’s Alex Treece and Bank of Utah’s Branden Hansen on why now is the moment for community banks to act on stablecoins, from the GENIUS Act to new use cases, deposit risk, and the race with fintechs…

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Alex Treece of Stable Core and Brandon Hanson of Bank of Utah discuss community banking stablecoins on Travillian Next
Banking, Cryptocurrency, Digital Assets, Fintech, Strategy, Tech & Innovation

Community Banking’s Stablecoin Moment: Why Now Is the Time to Act

Stablecore’s Alex Treece and Bank of Utah’s Branden Hansen on why now is the moment for community banks to act on stablecoins, from the GENIUS Act to new use cases, deposit risk, and the race with fintechs…

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Ian Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at the American Fintech Council, on Travillian Next discussing what's changing in bank compliance, from regulatory oversight to AI
Banking, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Legal, Risk & Compliance, Tech & Innovation

What’s Changing in Bank Compliance, From Regulatory Oversight to AI: Ian Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at AFC

American Fintech Council’s chief policy officer on what’s changing for bank compliance teams, from reputation risk leaving the exam handbooks to where AI now fits into supervision…

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Ian Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at the American Fintech Council, on Travillian Next discussing what's changing in bank compliance, from regulatory oversight to AI
Banking, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Legal, Risk & Compliance, Tech & Innovation

What’s Changing in Bank Compliance, From Regulatory Oversight to AI: Ian Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at AFC

American Fintech Council’s chief policy officer on what’s changing for bank compliance teams, from reputation risk leaving the exam handbooks to where AI now fits into supervision…

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Steve Plunk, former OCC examiner, discussing the Penn Square Bank failure on Travillian Next
Banking, Credit & Lending, Risk & Compliance, Succession Planning, Talent

The Bank Failure That Sent a Ripple Through American Banking: Steve Plunk’s Lessons from Penn Square

The OCC examiner at the center of the Penn Square collapse on the one balance-sheet line that unraveled it all, and the credit discipline that still separates strong banks from fragile ones…

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Steve Plunk, former OCC examiner, discussing the Penn Square Bank failure on Travillian Next
Banking, Credit & Lending, Risk & Compliance, Succession Planning, Talent

The Bank Failure That Sent a Ripple Through American Banking: Steve Plunk’s Lessons from Penn Square

The OCC examiner at the center of the Penn Square collapse on the one balance-sheet line that unraveled it all, and the credit discipline that still separates strong banks from fragile ones…

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Brent Beardall of WaFd and Simone Lagomarsino of Luther Burbank Savings with host Brian Love on the Travillian Next podcast
Banking, Leadership, M&A, Strategy, Talent, Wall Street

Brent Beardall & Simone Lagomarsino: Two Bank CEOs on Leadership, M&A, and the Deal That Made Them Family

Brent Beardall takes us from the bank file room to the CEO seat, then gets surprised on camera by Simone Lagomarsino for an honest conversation about leadership, M&A, and the deal that made them family…

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Brent Beardall of WaFd and Simone Lagomarsino of Luther Burbank Savings with host Brian Love on the Travillian Next podcast
Banking, Leadership, M&A, Strategy, Talent, Wall Street

Brent Beardall & Simone Lagomarsino: Two Bank CEOs on Leadership, M&A, and the Deal That Made Them Family

Brent Beardall takes us from the bank file room to the CEO seat, then gets surprised on camera by Simone Lagomarsino for an honest conversation about leadership, M&A, and the deal that made them family…

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Travillian's Conference Crawl podcast: Amber Buker and Brian Love deliver a bank & fintech recap of May 2026 conferences
Banking, Talent, Tech & Innovation

Travillian’s Conference Crawl: What Amber & Brian Heard at Finovate, D.A. Davidson, Alloy Labs, and S&P Global

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…

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Travillian's Conference Crawl podcast: Amber Buker and Brian Love deliver a bank & fintech recap of May 2026 conferences
Banking, Talent, Tech & Innovation

Travillian’s Conference Crawl: What Amber & Brian Heard at Finovate, D.A. Davidson, Alloy Labs, and S&P Global

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…

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Matthew Smith, President and CEO of Rhinebeck Bank, on the Travillian Next podcast discussing community banking strategy and technology
Banking, Company Culture, Hiring Trends, Leadership, Strategy, Talent, Tech & Innovation

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 In this episode of Travillian…
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Matthew Smith, President and CEO of Rhinebeck Bank, on the Travillian Next podcast discussing community banking strategy and technology
Banking, Company Culture, Hiring Trends, Leadership, Strategy, Talent, Tech & Innovation

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 In this episode of Travillian…
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Travillian's Amber Buker with Chris Nichols of SouthState Bank, Cory LeBlanc of Locality Bank, and Siya Vansia of ConnectOne Bank at S&P Global's Community Bankers Conference 2026
Banking, Talent, Tech & Innovation

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 the conference circuit, and this…
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Travillian's Amber Buker with Chris Nichols of SouthState Bank, Cory LeBlanc of Locality Bank, and Siya Vansia of ConnectOne Bank at S&P Global's Community Bankers Conference 2026
Banking, Talent, Tech & Innovation

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 the conference circuit, and this…
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Heather Luck, EVP and Chief Financial Officer at Five Star Bank, sits down with Travillian's Amber Buker for an on-location, documentary-style interview filmed inside Five Star Bank.
Banking, Leadership, Talent

“We Don’t Carry Any Dead Weight” — Inside Five Star Bank’s Financial Engine with CFO Heather Luck (Part 2)

CFO Heather Luck, breaks down how one of California’s fastest-growing community banks keeps its efficiency ratio in the low 40s while spending big on people, tech, and branches…

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Heather Luck, EVP and Chief Financial Officer at Five Star Bank, sits down with Travillian's Amber Buker for an on-location, documentary-style interview filmed inside Five Star Bank.
Banking, Leadership, Talent

“We Don’t Carry Any Dead Weight” — Inside Five Star Bank’s Financial Engine with CFO Heather Luck (Part 2)

CFO Heather Luck, breaks down how one of California’s fastest-growing community banks keeps its efficiency ratio in the low 40s while spending big on people, tech, and branches…

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Michael Rizzo, EVP and Chief Banking Officer at Five Star Bank, sits down with Travillian's Amber Buker for an on-location, documentary-style interview filmed inside Five Star Bank.
Banking, Company Culture, Leadership, Talent

“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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Michael Rizzo, EVP and Chief Banking Officer at Five Star Bank, sits down with Travillian's Amber Buker for an on-location, documentary-style interview filmed inside Five Star Bank.
Banking, Company Culture, Leadership, Talent

“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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Executive reviewing comp data and compensation study binder in office, illustrating challenges in using comp data for bank hiring decisions
Banking, Talent

Why Comp Data Alone Won’t Win Your Next Executive Hire

Many community banks rely on comp data as a guidepost, but it rarely reflects the realities of the hire in front of them. Brian Love breaks it all down…

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Executive reviewing comp data and compensation study binder in office, illustrating challenges in using comp data for bank hiring decisions
Banking, Talent

Why Comp Data Alone Won’t Win Your Next Executive Hire

Many community banks rely on comp data as a guidepost, but it rarely reflects the realities of the hire in front of them. Brian Love breaks it all down…

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Mike Lettig and Jackson Brossy of Huntington Bank's Native American Financial Services team discuss the $26 billion federal contracting opportunity in Indian Country with Travillian host Amber Buker.
Banking

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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Mike Lettig and Jackson Brossy of Huntington Bank's Native American Financial Services team discuss the $26 billion federal contracting opportunity in Indian Country with Travillian host Amber Buker.
Banking

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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Joseph Dively, Chairman and CEO of First Mid Bank & Trust, joins Travillian's Andrew Liesch and Brian Love to discuss community banking strategy, M&A, and leadership.
Banking, Leadership, Strategy, Talent

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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Joseph Dively, Chairman and CEO of First Mid Bank & Trust, joins Travillian's Andrew Liesch and Brian Love to discuss community banking strategy, M&A, and leadership.
Banking, Leadership, Strategy, Talent

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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Highest-valued banks analysis showing deposits, discipline, and differentiation with banking performance charts and valuation metrics
Banking, M&A, Wall Street

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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Highest-valued banks analysis showing deposits, discipline, and differentiation with banking performance charts and valuation metrics
Banking, M&A, Wall Street

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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Scott Hildenbrand Piper Sandler discussing bank balance sheet strategy and boardroom leadership on Travillian Next
Wall Street, Banking

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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Scott Hildenbrand Piper Sandler discussing bank balance sheet strategy and boardroom leadership on Travillian Next
Wall Street, Banking

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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Cannabis banking illustrated through the supply chain from grower and processor to dispensary and community bank
Banking

Cannabis Banking and the Boardroom: What Bank Directors Need to Know Before Entering the Industry

What Should Bank Boards Know Before Banking Cannabis?  More than a decade into state‑level legalization, federal policy remains stuck in neutral, forcing institutions…
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Cannabis banking illustrated through the supply chain from grower and processor to dispensary and community bank
Banking

Cannabis Banking and the Boardroom: What Bank Directors Need to Know Before Entering the Industry

What Should Bank Boards Know Before Banking Cannabis?  More than a decade into state‑level legalization, federal policy remains stuck in neutral, forcing institutions…
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Jennifer Docherty, Bank on Women, Performance Trust Capital Partners
Banking, Leadership, Succession Planning, Talent

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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Jennifer Docherty, Bank on Women, Performance Trust Capital Partners
Banking, Leadership, Succession Planning, Talent

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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Mike Higgins discussing community bank compensation strategy and incentive design in the banking war for talent on Travillian Next
Banking, Talent

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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Mike Higgins discussing community bank compensation strategy and incentive design in the banking war for talent on Travillian Next
Banking, Talent

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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Chuck Nabhan, Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst at Stephens, discusses fintech valuations and core banking technology against a modern financial services backdrop.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Fintech, Tech & Innovation

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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Chuck Nabhan, Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst at Stephens, discusses fintech valuations and core banking technology against a modern financial services backdrop.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Fintech, Tech & Innovation

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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