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…
Enrichment
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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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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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 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 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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“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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“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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“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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“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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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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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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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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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 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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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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Wall Street to Main Street: CEOs Dimitar Karaivanov and C.K. Lee on Strategy, Talent, and Long-Term Growth
As community banks face rising complexity, tighter margins, and higher expectations from boards and regulators, leadership backgrounds are evolving. Dimitar…
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Wall Street to Main Street: CEOs Dimitar Karaivanov and C.K. Lee on Strategy, Talent, and Long-Term Growth
As community banks face rising complexity, tighter margins, and higher expectations from boards and regulators, leadership backgrounds are evolving. Dimitar…
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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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Succession Without Shortcuts: Lessons from Starion Bank’s President Search
Starion Bank CEO Craig Larson and President Dave Rogstad share the real story behind their leadership transition…
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Succession Without Shortcuts: Lessons from Starion Bank’s President Search
Starion Bank CEO Craig Larson and President Dave Rogstad share the real story behind their leadership transition…
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