Independent Banker - November 2017 - 5

From the Chairman
By Scott Heitkamp, chairman of ICBA
Why we must
embrace change
T
he world is rapidly changing around
us, and it's up to community bankers to
evolve with it-all while creating that
optimal balance between our relationship lending
business model and the technology offerings
that our customers have come to expect.
This may sound like a complicated proposition,
but it's simply the way business is done
today and will be done in the future. In fact, it's
always been this way. Does anyone remember
the industry's concern and skepticism when
ATMs appeared on the scene? They didn't turn
out to be so bad, right?
If anything, ATMs have enhanced our industry.
As our customers became more mobile, we
needed to move with them. And if they want
something, we need to give it to them. After all,
we're just as much in the customer service business
as we are in the fi nancial services business.
It's no secret that today's community bankers
need their fi nger on the pulse. We should be
looking at fi ntech companies as potential partners,
with the aim of blending their technology
with our established services and customer care.
We also need to view our core service provider
relationships as ever-changing, rather
than stagnant; we should periodically evaluate
whether they are meeting our needs or if something
needs to change. This topic hits close to
home, since we at ValueBank Texas are in the
process of updating our core system in order
to be able to offer the ancillary products our
customers want.
Above all, we are focusing on the user experience,
rather than the bank operation. We are
keeping our customers at the forefront of our
minds as we make decisions.
The bottom line is that our products and
services have to be relevant and easy to use, or
we will lose our customers.
Technology is changing the way we work, but
our focus needs to stay on our customers. This
means having the resources and tools to evaluate
what works for your bank and your customers.
Once again, ICBA is here to help.
ICBA has engaged in plenty of innovation over
the years, such as ICBA Bancard solutions, its
partnerships with dozens of service providers,
and its online education and compliance expertise
through Community Banker University.
With approximately 1,200 community banks
already participating in some type of fi ntech
partnership through ICBA's products and services
and Preferred Service Providers, ICBA is
helping community banks innovate and thrive.
To learn more about these products and
services, I encourage you to reach out to your
member relationship offi cer, who can help you
evaluate your current options and identify future
opportunities. Just visit icba.org/consultation.
Community banks have remade ourselves
countless times in the past 200 years, yet we
continue to offer locally focused banking
services. This evolution will continue as new
technologies and new generations of customers
present challenges and opportunities.
My advice is to embrace this change. It will
make us better, stronger and, above all, allow us
to continue to serve our customers and communities
to the best of our ability.
R. Scott Heitkamp is president and
CEO of ValueBank Texas in Corpus
Christi. Follow him on Twitter,
@sheitkamp.
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Independent Banker - November 2017

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