Plugged In - A Banking Podcast

Starting a Bank in the Age of AI

We’re at a wake-up moment. In ten years, banking has changed more than it did in the century before.  So, Al and Steve pose a question: If you created a bank from scratc

The Long Game (with Bourbon on the Side) // CEO Ja Hillebrand

Banking keeps getting easier and faster. But according to Stock Yards Bank & Trust Chairman and CEO Ja Hillebrand, none of these technology upgrades can replace relations

Not Your Typical Q1 Outlook

They’re back. Al and Steve kick off the year by discussing the biggest forces shaping banking right now, including something particularly challenging: growth. From how b

Don’t Call It a Comeback w/ Jim Reuter

What inspires a seasoned bank CEO to come out of retirement? As Jim Reuter, CEO and president of First Interstate Bank, tells Al and Steve on the show: “There’s a saying

The Beat Goes On in Banking w/ Archie Brown

Regional banks don’t often get compared to pop music, but maybe they should. On the show today, First Financial Bank President and CEO Archie Brown explains why great ba

A.I. Promises, Banking Realities, and a Few Hidden Gems

Today on the show, Al and Steve reunite in the Arizona desert to unpack the themes they have been hearing at banking conferences and boardroom meetings nationwide. Two bi

“Brace” Yourself for the Shenanigans in Banking

Deal-making is heating up. On the show today: Al and Steve sit down with Mike Maddox, CEO and president of the newly expanded $20B-asset Busey Bank, which merged with Cr

Ep 43: Cruel Summer: Stablecoins, GenAI, M&A

Banking is only getting hotter. On the show today, Al and Steve break down midyear trends, from GenAI's impact on creativity (it isn’t good) to stablecoins and a pot

Ep 42: The Balance Sheet Restructure That Transformed the Bank // CEO Chip Reeves

Today on the show, Al and Steve catch up with Chip Reeves, CEO of MidWestOne Bank, to get the inside story into how the Midwestern bank managed to not lose a single top c

Ep 41: Numbers Don't Lie - How This $5.5B Bank in Kansas Was Built // CEO Brad Elliott

On the show today: Al and Steve speak with Brad Elliott, founder, chairman and CEO of Equity Bank, about building a $5.5 billion institution through an aggressive M&A str

Ep 40: Embracing Entrepreneurship in a Disruptive Market

Generative A.I. is an intervention moment for the financial services industry. Today on the show, Al and Steve chat about A.I. playbooks and what banks are doing with Ge

Ep 39: "I'm An Entrepreneur. Just In A Banker's Body" // Malcolm Holland

Malcolm Holland, Chariman of the Board, CEO and President of Veritex Community Bank, sees himself as a banker who embraces opportunities. On today's show, Al and St

Ep 38: Banking in 2025:  "Only the Entrepreneurs Will Get Growth"

They’re back. In Arizona. In advance of the upcoming  Acquire or Be Acquired conference, Al and Steve chat about trends that will matter to the C-Suite this year, includ

Ep 37: 2024 In Review: Banking's Big Moves

In this final episode of the Plugged In Series for 2024, Steve and Al reflect on the year's significant events and trends in the banking industry, including a resurg

Ep 36: The Biggest Technologies Shaping Banking Right Now // Hans Morris

Hans Morris is used to following fintech trends. He’s a managing partner at Nyca Partners, a fintech venture capital firm in New York and San Francisco, and the chairman

Ep 35: On Growing a California Bank Year After Year // CEO Dave Brager

Citizens Business Bank has made money in every single quarter of every single year for more than 47 years. Today on the show, Al and Steve talk to Dave Brager, CEO of Ci

Ep 34: Banking Is Gonna Make You Sweat

Today on the show, Steve quizzes Al on the hottest topics discussed at the recent Association for Financial Technology Fall Summit held in Palm Springs. Among them: the F

Ep 33: Lake City's Secret Sauce // CEO David Findlay

Lake City Bank has managed to grow its book value per share even amid some of the thorniest industry challenges. David Findlay, Chairman and CEO of Lake City Bank, talks

Ep 32: How This 177-Year-Old Bank Innovates // Nitin Mhatre

It’s action packed in banking right now as regulatory uncertainty mounts with the looming presidential election. Today on the show, Al and Steve pick the brain of Nitin

Ep 31: The Recipe for Growing a Bank in 2024 with WesBanco’s Jeff Jackson

As Jeff Jackson, the CEO of WesBanco, sees it, M&A activity can only go up. In this episode, Al and Steve chat with Jeff about why that is and what is at stake for commu