Carey Ransom

As a bank in 2024, we have to embrace what it means to be a digital business. We have to embrace that we are operating a software company that happens to provide banking services. This being the reality, we now have to enhance our capabilities in order to thrive. 

Welcome to the 5th installment of "If I Were a Bank CEO..." In this edition, Carey thinks about leading a bank the way a new coach would lead a football team to victory: through a willingness to revolutionize the team's playbook and take risks. He breaks down the first 5 things banks can do to coach their teams to greatness.

Welcome to the 4th edition of "If I Were a Bank CEO." This month, Carey provides 5 actions that he would take to ensure his bank (and commercial clients) stay safe against cyber attacks. From creating a culture of awareness to utilizing software tools, Carey posits that banks have ample opportunity to empower themselves and their customers and create a safer banking environment for all.

Welcome to Volume 3 of "If I Were a Bank CEO." This month, Carey writes about how a bank's deposit growth and customer satisfaction would skyrocket if bank leadership focused on investing in an online presence (by hiring an Internet Sales Manager, as a start). By likening this approach to that of auto dealerships in recent years, Carey explains why and how he would hire an ISM at his financial institution.

In the second edition of his article series, Carey Ransom explores how he would approach learning from competitors if he were running a community bank today. Fintechs, larger banks and credit unions all have unique strengths and strategies that community banks can adopt and benefit from, if they know how.

In this new series titled “If I Were A Bank CEO...“, Carey Ransom, our Managing Director, empathizes with bankers and explores what he would do if he were running a community bank today. Having done turnarounds and restartups in his career, as well as starting and scaling fintech companies, Carey provides analysis, alternatives and practical, actionable advice for community bank CEOs navigating rapid technological and business changes.

The heart of a community banker is a real thing. I remember it from my childhood. My grandfather's and father's friends were bankers and were passionate about the community and what the bank could do to help it thrive. Not everyone has had that experience, but Brad Bolton has, and he lives it by example every day in his community in Alabama and at his bank, Community Spirit Bank. 

Nathan Baumeister is a co-founder and the CEO of ZSuite, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. We talked about the founding of ZSuite within a community bank, how it's now working with dozens of banks to help them with commercial escrow accounts, and how it is expanding bank deposits as a result of it. A great listen!

Silicon Valley Bank perfected the art of banking with startups. Between rates, account types, client support and culture, they had the game mastered. And having worked with SVB as a customer on & off for the last 20 years, here are a few things they did that probably weren’t so obvious in the broader banking world.

It is so fun to get introduced to awesome new people, and I had a strong feeling that Teddy Mitrosilis and I would have a good conversation and connection. We did and I think you'll enjoy his stories and ideas thoroughly. Teddy has a strong drive and process, which has served him well in athletics, business and life.

Rex Salisbury has a great story as his path into venture capital and transition from Andreessen Horowitz to founding Cambrian. His instincts led him to San Francisco where he thought his community would be, then to A16Z and ultimately to starting his own fund. ‍Enjoy this conversation and the many things Rex has learned by serving the community around him.

Ron Shevlin from Cornerstone Advisors has a lot of great thoughts and insights to share and we covered a lot of ground.‍ Ron talked about the strategic imperative for community banks and had a number of very clear action items banks can take to have more success in the coming years. 

What does a Growth Mindset look like inside a community bank? Eric Sprink is the CEO of Coastal Community Bank in the greater Seattle area, and yet his community bank now supports millions of customer accounts through some very large partners whose names you’re likely to recognize. This episode was an absolute treat.

Charles Potts is my favorite bank technology historian. This was a conversation I wanted to have and record for a long time, and I'm excited to share it.

I consider Wayne sort of a "founder whisperer" as he's worked with well over 100 of them in the last 6 years through a couple accelerator programs he oversaw. And with a focus on business development for the startups going through the program, it has been true business acceleration for them, and a big reason why it was named the fintech accelerator of the year a couple of years ago.

Brent Jackson saw the opportunity for Torpago inside the finance and accounting organization of a prior company. I always enjoy when a founder just sees the opportunity and goes for it. Enjoy this conversation with a coachable entrepreneur who is growing himself and his company simultaneously!

Serial entrepreneur, Howard Makler, has been growing Innovation Refunds at 200% per quarter this year. I was thrilled to have him join me to talk about the experience, his personal and leadership philosophies and what's been unique about this opportunity. He also highlights the importance of passion and purpose in fueling our day-to-day lives. Enjoy this conversation with Howard!

BTV is looking for a talented, values-aligned and excited investment professional to join our team.

David Wexler joined me to discuss a critical innovation and transformation topic in banking - integrations. We also talked about what the industry has historically gotten wrong in implementing new software, how PortX is changing it, and how he's evolving and learning as a CEO of a key company in this market.

Zack and his co-founder, Ben, have developed Smerf to be a critical identity and social layer across gaming platforms, and they're being noticed by some of the largest gaming companies in the world. We talked about his experience engaging with the CEO of one of them early in Smerf's life.‍I've also seen Zack mature so rapidly as a founder becoming the CEO of a company with incredible potential to impact millions of gamers in a positive way. It's such a pleasure to get to work with him through Operate. Enjoy this conversation!

Jason Yeh and I had a super fun chat about founders, how to help them better tell their stories, and some great examples he's seen. We also talked about the changes in the venture capital landscape in the last year, and what's likely ahead. Listen to this one to hear why he loved delivering pizzas earlier in life, as well as what he's learned being part of Delta Airlines' Technical Advisory Board.

Cat Berman and I met several years ago, so it was fun to finally have a recorded conversation. She is inspiring in her leadership of CNote and bringing more impact to the financial services world through the products that they offer. Enjoy a passionate entrepreneur and her mission to drive more impact. It was a fun conversation and we're excited (at BankTech Ventures) to be on the journey with her and her team. 

Bradley Leimer and I were destined to meet, and we finally did in NY earlier this year at Finovate, where we were on a panel together entitled "How Community Banks & Credit Unions Can Embrace Change to Compete In A Digital World."We both determined that we'd have a lot to talk about after the panel, so we decided to record it.