In this episode, the guys are joined by JP Lapointe, Chief Financial Officer of Needham Bank ($5B institution in the Boston metropolitan area), and DCG colleague Jeff Reynolds. The four dig into JP’s career progression from Wolf and Company to Northeast Bank to his current role at Needham. JP also expands on the nuances of working for a "specialty asset" business, why banking cannabis is not for the "faint of heart," Needham’s recent IPO and the "perfect time to go public," and why their customers have direct access to the CEO's personal cell phone.

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In this special episode, Darling Consulting Group President & CEO Matt Pieniazek joins for a C-suite-focused “fireside chat” to share his insights and perspectives on managing earnings and balance sheet risks in this highly volatile and uncertain environment. Matt reflects on key realities, challenges, and opportunities, and also addresses some very relevant current strategies for managing an institution’s risks in general – and lending and deposit customers in particular.

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In this episode, the guys are joined by Nathan Stovall, the Director of Financial Institutions Research for S&P Global. Nathan shares his observations on deposit trends, how banks are the "thermometers" of local economies, his outlook for M&A activity, and why it is so important for banks to "not sit still" in an ever-changing banking landscape. 

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

DCG Managing Director Joe Kennerson returns to talk about the top 5 areas risk managers should be discussing as 2025 progresses. Joe, Zach, and Vinny dig deep into deposit and lending trends, potential margin restoration, hedging, and bond portfolios making a comeback.

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In the first episode of Season 4, Dr. Lacy Hunt, Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Hoisington Investment Management Company, rejoins the show for a timely and engaging discussion on what to expect from markets in 2025. Lacy delves into the reasons he would "take the under" on inflation, GDP, and unemployment vs Blue Chip economic consensus forecasts, why the US is "the strongest ship in the sea," how tariffs are not inflationary, and where he thinks interest rates will move this year. 

Disclaimer: Dr. Hunt's views expressed on the show are for educational purposes only and are not solicitation or marketing for Hoisington Investment Management Company.

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In the final episode of Season 3, Vin and Zach are joined by colleague Jeff Reynolds for a terrific discussion with Dale Oberkfell, former President & CFO of Midwest BankCentre in Missouri. Dale shares lessons from a 40-year career, ranging from his early days as a CPA to his time as Chairman of the FHLB of Des Moines and his experiences from 10 years as a CFO driving digital transformation at a multi-billion dollar bank. Dale discusses the importance of establishing a separate brand from the legacy bank, how to manipulate the digital funnel, and the importance of removing roadblocks from the customer experience.

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In this month’s episode, Peter Boockvar, Chief Investment Officer of Bleakley Financial Group, visits with Vin, Zach, and DCG’s Justin Bakst to discuss potential economic implications from the recent US Presidential election.  The four dive into the key policy areas Peter thinks will be most impactful over the next few years, expectations for our “two-lane highway” economic system, why the Fed should be taking the recent bond market activity seriously, and prospects for deregulation as it pertains to the banking industry. 

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In this month's episode, we are joined by Matt McCombs, President and CEO of Vibrant Credit Union in Moline, Illinois. Matt discusses his early days of cutting the front lawn of his father’s credit union and spending 180 days a year on the road as a consultant before ultimately landing at Vibrant and leading that organization for the last 10+ years.

Matt also shares his experiences from seven mergers in the span of 20 months, perspectives on the commoditization and fragmentation occurring in the financial services industry today, and what the “balance sheet of the future” looks like.

Tune in to hear Matt discuss why the only way to drastically change the business model of an institution is to “run towards the storm” and be the force of change in an industry “running out of runway.”  

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In episode 9, the guys are joined by DCG Quantitative Consultant Chase Ogden. The trio investigates a panoply of subjects in the MRM space, including the importance of building out a data strategy to promote better decision-making, thoughts from the CECL frontlines, and why there is always room for bankers to better utilize quantitative results ("with humility”).

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In episode 8, Vin and Zach are joined by the one and only DCG Managing Director Frank Farone. The trio discusses five key themes all bankers should be thinking about if the Fed does begin cutting rates soon, hitting all aspects of the balance sheet, and more!

For more insights and ideas, visit DCG at DarlingConsulting.com or follow us on LinkedIn.