Travillian Next

Travillian Next

Travillian Next, launched in early 2020, is dedicated to producing original, behind-the-scenes content for the banking & fintech industries. http://www.travilliannext.com/

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Fight Like Heck to Stay Independent: How First Mid Bank & Trust Built a $9 Billion Community Banking Powerhouse

    What does it take to build a $9 billion community bank and stay independent doing it? Joe Dively, Chairman and CEO of First Mid Bank & Trust, breaks down the M&A strategy, leadership philosophy, and culture-first approach behind one of the Midwest's most extraordinary community banking stories — including a dividend streak dating back to 1879, eight acquisitions built on decade-long relationships, and a succession plan built around one of the youngest executive teams in the industry.

    33 min

  2. 25 MAR

    Balance Sheet Truths from Piper Sandler's Scott Hildenbrand, The Hardest Working Man in "Bank Land"

    Scott Hildenbrand, Head of Depository Fixed Income at Piper Sandler, joins Travillian Next for a conversation on balance sheet strategy and the forces shaping banking in 2026. In this episode, Travillian’s Brian Love and Andrew Liesch sit down with Hildenbrand to discuss what he’s hearing in bank boardrooms across the country. From the disconnect between bank earnings and valuations to execution strategies in a volatile interest rate environment, the conversation explores how financial institutions are thinking about balance sheet management, leadership decisions, and long-term growth. The discussion also covers talent dynamics in the M&A landscape, the rise of niche banking strategies, and how regulatory expectations are influencing liquidity and capital decisions for banks today. If you’re a bank CEO, board member, executive, or industry professional looking to better understand balance sheet strategy and the challenges facing community banks, this episode offers a candid perspective from one of the most active voices advising financial institutions today.

    32 min

  3. 12 MAR

    How Community Banks Can Build Stronger & More Diverse Bank Boards — Jennifer Docherty, Bank on Women

    Community banks widely recognize the value of diversity in the boardroom, yet many institutions still rely on the same limited recruiting networks when searching for new directors. On the latest episode of Travillian Next, Amber Buker, Chief Research Officer at Travillian, sits down with Jennifer Docherty, Senior FIG & Capital Markets Strategist at Performance Trust Capital Partners and Co-Founder of Bank on Women, to unpack why boardrooms remain so homogenous and what banks can do differently.Jennifer explains the structural dynamics that shape how directors are recruited and why meaningful performance gains begin to appear once boards reach a “critical mass” of women. The conversation also explores how community banks can modernize board succession planning, build stronger leadership pipelines, and expand their candidate pools through sponsorship and organizations like Bank on Women. Together, they outline practical steps banks can take to strengthen governance while positioning themselves for the next generation of leadership.

    29 min

  4. 5 MAR

    Winning the War for Talent: Why Compensation Strategy Matters More Than Ever

    Community banks are rethinking compensation as competition for top producers intensifies. In this episode of Travillian Next, Brian Love of Travillian and incentive strategist Mike Higgins discuss how banks are moving beyond subjective year-end bonus structures and toward performance-driven incentive plans. They explore the “Bank of One” model, the importance of linking pay to profitability, and why modern compensation strategy is becoming a critical competitive advantage in community banking.

    21 min

  5. 25 FEB

    Beyond the Hype: Stephens’ Chuck Nabhan on the "Fact vs. Fiction" of Fintech Valuations

    Keith Daly, Principal of Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, sits down with Chuck Nabhan, Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst at Stephens, to unpack fintech valuations, AI disruption, and the regulatory “moat” protecting core banking technology. Drawing on nearly two decades of equity research, Nabhan breaks down why AI hype is distorting fintech valuations, which parts of the tech stack are truly vulnerable, and where durable business models still exist. The conversation also highlights modernization priorities for community banks, including digital account opening, fraud prevention, and profitable growth in a post-euphoria market.

    18 min

  6. 11 FEB

    Wall Street to Main Street: CEOs Dimitar Karaivanov and C.K. Lee on Strategy, Talent, and Growth

    Dimitar Karaivanov, President & CEO of Community Bank System, and C.K. Lee, President & CEO of InterBank, discuss how Wall Street experience translates into community banking leadership.As community banks face rising complexity, tighter margins, and heightened expectations from boards and regulators, leadership backgrounds are evolving. Karaivanov and Lee share how bank strategy, talent decisions, capital discipline, and long-term accountability shift when executives move from advising on transactions to executing inside the institution.Hosted by Brian Love, Head of Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian, and Andrew Liesch, Head of Bank Strategy.

    37 min

  7. 29 JAN

    Culture as a Talent Magnet: How Pathward Earned an 84% Employee Satisfaction Score

    Pathward President Anthony Sharett joins Travillian Next host Amber Buker to share how a culture-first talent strategy is driving innovation, employee engagement, and financial inclusion. The conversation explores Pathward’s “talent anywhere” approach, curiosity-driven hiring, and how strong culture and regulatory discipline work together to prepare for 2030.Timestamps:00:00 – The journey from law to bank leadership03:04 – Defining purpose and the power of culture05:21 – Building an innovative workforce06:45 – Bridging the digital skills gap10:20 – High-demand roles and the AI frontier13:14 – Innovation within regulatory guardrails14:44 – The “talent anywhere” recruiting strategy18:19 – Mastering the first 90 days of onboarding21:58 – Investing in the bank’s most valuable asset24:02 – Looking toward the bank of 2030

    27 min

  8. 21 JAN

    The “Easy Button” for Digital Assets: How Custodia and Vantage Are Rewriting Payments for Community Banks

    Community banks are no longer on the sidelines of digital assets. Keith Daly of Travillian speaks with Caitlin Long, Founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, and Shawn Main of Vantage Bank Texas about how tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and interoperable payment rails are becoming real banking infrastructure. They break down the GENIUS Act, atomic settlement, and a new bank-led consortium designed to give community banks a compliant, practical path into digital asset payments. From cross-border transactions to logistics and restaurant payouts, the episode shows how settlement speed, transparency, and customer expectations are reshaping competition. If you work in community banking, fintech, payments, or digital assets, this episode explains what is changing, why it matters, and how banks can stay relevant.

    32 min
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About

Travillian Next, launched in early 2020, is dedicated to producing original, behind-the-scenes content for the banking & fintech industries. http://www.travilliannext.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Travillian Next
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Travillian Next
  • Show Website
    Travillian Next

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