Banking on Data

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword in financial services. From lending to fraud detection to customer service, AI is steadily finding its way into community banks and credit unions. But for leaders, boards, and compliance teams, one pressing question remains: how do we adopt AI responsibly?

In this episode of the Banking on Data podcast, host Ed Vincent sits down with Beth Nilles, Director of Implementation, who brings more than 30 years of banking leadership across lending, operations, and compliance. Beth offers practical guidance for financial institution leaders who may be exploring AI for the first time - or wrestling with how to scale responsibly without falling behind on regulatory expectations.

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In this episode of The Banking on Data Podcast, Ed Vincent welcomes back Craig Hartman, founder and CEO of Plansmith, along with Christine Lake, Plansmith’s Chief Strategy Officer. This was part 3 of a larger series around "Execution Risk" with the Plansmith team and a natural progression from prior episodes, where we addressed the definition and mitigation strategies of execution risk. This episode zooms in on the concrete framework Plansmith uses to help financial institutions translate strategy into action by creating "The Playbook".  Listen to the full episode to learn more. 

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In Part 2 of our Banking on Data podcast series with our partners at Plansmith, Edward Vincent welcomed back Craig Hartman, Chairman and CEO of Plansmith, to explore a question that resonates with every financial leader: Once you’ve identified execution risk, how do you actually reduce it? 

Craig’s decades of experience helping banks and credit unions navigate planning and budgeting challenges make him uniquely equipped to answer this question. In this episode, he shares actionable insights on how organizations can move beyond simply naming their risks to building a culture that consistently mitigates them. Listen to the full episode here to learn more. 

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In this Banking on Data podcast, host Edward Vincent invited Craig Hartman, the Chairman and CEO of Plansmith, on to the show for a compelling three-part series on a topic central to every financial institution’s success: Execution Risk. This first episode lays the groundwork, exploring what execution risk is, why it matters to all banks, and how it emerges as an umbrella for all types of risk that touch nearly every aspect of strategic and operational activity. Listen to hear the full episode.

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The Banking on Data podcast welcomed back Josh Magri, CEO of the Cyber Risk Institute (CRI), for a timely Part 2 conversation focused on the evolving cybersecurity regulatory landscape and what it means for community financial institutions. As the FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT) is scheduled to sunset on August 31, 2025, Josh offers a roadmap on how financial institutions can move forward and how their CRI Profile offers a strategic, scalable alternative that’s gaining traction with regulators and institutions alike. 

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The cybersecurity landscape is changing fast. And for financial institutions, one of the biggest shifts on the horizon is the sunsetting of the FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT) in August 2025. In this episode of the Banking on Data podcast, Josh Magri, President and CEO of the Cyber Risk Institute (CRI), joined host Edward Vincent to unpack what this means for banks, credit unions, and other financial players.

From emerging threats powered by AI to the evolving regulatory frameworks shaping cybersecurity governance, Josh's insights are a must-hear. Listen to the full episode here!

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Organizations across the financial sector are investing more time and energy into data strategy, but many still struggle to move from planning to execution. In this episode of the Banking on Data Podcast, Jeff Fink returns for Part 4 of our Data Strategy series, sharing tactical guidance on how to operationalize a data strategy and deliver real business value. Whether you're a chief data officer at a regional bank or an operations leader at a credit union or community bank, this episode offers a practical roadmap for putting your strategy into motion.

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Ed Vincent, host of the Banking on Data Podcast, welcomed Jeff Fink back to the show for part three of their Data Strategy Series. This week's insightful conversation dives deep into the distinction between data strategy VS reporting, which is a critical yet often misunderstood area for community financial institutions aiming to become truly data-driven. Listen to the full episode, or if you missed Part 1 and Part 2, click the links below to catch up.

• Part 1: How to Start a Data Strategy From Nothing: Make the Mind Shift From Stuck to Start
• Part 2: Defining a Data Strategy: What a Data Strategy Is - And Isn't

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In this episode of the Banking on Data Podcast, Ed Vincent welcomes back Lumio’s Chief Product Officer, Jeff Fink, to kick off a multipart series on creating a data strategy. A hot topic for many community banks and credit unions wanting to modernize their internal processes on how they handle data, collect it and how do they leverage data to achieve their collective goals. Listen to the full episode here.

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For many community banks, embarking on a data strategy can feel like an overwhelming endeavor. Limited resources, small teams, and the misconception that “big data” is only for large institutions often lead to inertia. But as discussed in the latest Banking on Data episode with Jeff Fink, the real differentiator in today’s competitive banking landscape is not size—it’s mindset. 

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