I would say that most banks today talk about digital transformation. They know that what made them successful in the 2010s may not work as well in this decade. So, they partner with fintechs, build innovation teams and try to transform their bank. One bank that is all-in on this process is Arvest Bank, a $26+ billion bank based in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Our next guest on the Fintech One-on-One podcast is Laura Merling, the Chief Transformation & Operations Officer at Arvest Bank. Laura left a senior role at Google to work for this community bank, the reason behind that is compelling in and of itself. But when you listen to this interview you will have an appreciation for how Arvest is tackling this whole process of transformation in a different way.

In this podcast you will learn:

• What attracted Laura to Arvest that caused her to move there from Google.
• How she defines her title, Chief Transformation and Operations Officer.
• The advantage of coming from outside of finance to this position.
• The size and different business lines of Arvest Bank.
• What early wins they have had since Laura started at the bank.
• Why they decided to change out their core banking platform.
• How they get everyone on board for transformation.
• How the culture is unique at Arvest, leading to multiple awards.
• Details of their Million Meals Program.
• How the Walton family is involved with Arvest.
• What upcoming in the near term on their transformation path.

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