Leaders in Lending

Banks and financial institutions play an integral role in the pursuit of true equality in America. By opening up new opportunities and increasing access to capital, they can build a more economically-inclusive world. In this episode, Sui Lang Panoke, Sr. Vice President - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion at Zions Bank, shares why DEI needs to be deeply integrated into your business strategy to be succe...

Many mid-sized banks are struggling to find new asset classes and new opportunities to offer retail banking services. Unsecured lending has become a viable way for them to broaden their product portfolio on the credit side. In this episode, Jim Matera, EVP/Chief Retail Banking Officer at Apple Bank, talks about how his firm got involved with unsecured lending and how technology is becoming the new...

Credit unions maintain a distinct advantage over larger banks. As a community-based institution, they are well positioned to truly understand the unique financial needs of their members. Now, with the proliferation of digital technologies, credit unions can continue to meet the evolving needs of their members — even if they’ve moved across the country. In this episode, Barry Roach, President & CEO...

Emerging leaders of the consumer lending industry all have a few things in common. On this week’s episode, Upstart’s Senior VP of Business Development, Jeff Keltner talks about what he’s learned from nearly a decade of working in the consumer lending arena, where the industry is advancing, and his forecasts of who will rise to the top of the market. What he talked about: - Differences between the...

Consumers are more comfortable buying online, even big ticket items like cars. A significant impediment to ecommerce in the auto industry is securing the loan and creating a frictionless digital experience. In this episode, we interview Val Gui, Vice President of Automotive Lending at Upstart, about trends in the automotive lending space and get some insight on how he forecasts the future of the i...

Banks are the economic first responders during our current economic challenges. How do regulations support banks in their work to support Americans? On this episode of Leaders in Lending, we had a fantastic conversation with Rob Nichols, President and CEO at American Bankers Association (ABA) about regulations, economic recovery, and the optimistic future of banking. What we talked about: - Potent...

The lending landscape is always evolving. Recent changes in government administration, combined with the shifting dynamic of economics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated this evolution. Nat Hoopes, Vice President of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs at Upstart shares his financial lending insight from DC, the changes underway, and the way banking is evolving to keep up...

Customers Bank, with a revolutionary crossover between FinTech and traditional banking, is truly disrupting and innovating past the financial industry as we know it. One year later, we look back and ask, how did AI-enabled underwriting models perform in a time of uncertainty? Sam Sidhu, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Customers Bank joins us this week to discuss the bank’s enormous su...

Changing company culture and implementing technology to better align with emerging digital preferences can be challenging but essential to staying ahead of the curve. Nate Longfellow, Head of Digital, Product Strategy and Change Delivery - Home Lending at Wells Fargo, works with business partners and customers to provide them with the right capabilities to succeed. This involves implementing techn...

For a lot of smaller community banks and credit unions, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges as the world makes a hard left turn into a more digital focused landscape in every area, including banking. Gary Fan, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer at Gateway Community Bank, joins us to talk about the shift to digital and what it means for smaller financial institutions...

Because of historically low interest rates, insane levels of liquidity within the banking system, and changing consumer needs, some banks need to find alternative ways to generate revenue. That means embracing change and bringing on new partners. In this episode, we talk with Matt Gallman, VP, Enterprise Risk Officer at Drummond Community Bank, about why the riskiest strategy a bank can take is no...

Most banks are sitting on a goldmine of data that could be used expansively across different products and services to build a relationship with their customers for life. Jim Deitch, Founder & CEO at Teraverde Management Advisors, joins us to talk about how banks are underutilizing one of the biggest strategic advantages they have. What we talked about: - The strategic advantage banks have in lendi...

Some clients want a 20 minute conversation with a trusted advisor. Some clients want to pick up their phone and get a loan in 5 minutes. Banks that are able to meet both needs have a tremendous advantage over those who primarily provide one or the other. In this episode of Leaders in Lending, our host talks with Dan Pogue, President of Commercial Retail and Small Business Sales at Midwest BankCent...

There’s a lot of buzz about the “artificial intelligence revolution” and the impact it’s going to have on businesses as we know it. As AI and machine learning emerge in the consumer lending space, the technology has proven to provide dramatic wins for both lenders and consumers. So what are companies doing today to help them be competitive and innovative in the unsecured lendingspace? On this epis...

In a digital world, threats to banking business models often appear on the horizon. How can banks stay aware of trends in future technology that have the potential to become disruptive threats? Marc Butterfield, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Disruption at First National Bank of Omaha, joins us to talk about the digital transformation and how his bank identifies threats and determines how...

Let’s face it. For being an industry that hits people so close to home, the banking and lending industry isn’t one that’s known for its ability to build genuine connections with customers. Not a lot of people seem to have feel-good stories about how someone in the banking industry made their day. But that can change. In a world where more and more people are turning to digital banking products and...

It’s not necessary to give up the fundamentals of banking in order to bring innovation to the industry. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. In this episode, we speak with Cathy Myers — Executive Vice President at First Financial Bank with 37 years of experience in the industry — about why we should view “digitization” as simply a modern extension of traditional banking practices. What we...

Banking is changing. The industry is at a transformation point. Consumers by and large have shown that they are ready to conduct their banking online. And the events of the last year have only accelerated this trend. In this inaugural episode, we’re joined by Richard Hunt to talk about what all the changes mean for the future of banking. Richard formerly worked for SIFMA, a securities industry tra...

What does the future of lending look like? And how can financial institutions leverage modern technologies and techniques to bring their programs and products into the digital world? Leaders in Lending, a brand new podcast from Upstart, aims to answer those questions and more by interviewing leaders from across the financial industry about current trends and strategies in consumer lending. In this...