Moving a bank forward with digital transformation sometimes requires working backward , says Laura Merling, Arvest Bank’s chief transformation and operations officer. That’s not as counterintuitive as it sounds. Her point is that it can be helpful to decide where a bank wants to end up, and then figure out what must be put in place to arrive there. Merling, who had been Google Cloud’s chief transformation officer before jumping to Arvest in early 2022, thinks it makes sense for banks in general and Arvest in particular. “Sometimes innovation simply means ‘We want to play with the new technology and see how it works,’” says Merling. “I could say, ‘I want to see how biometrics fits into our future.’ That’s different from saying, ‘I want to serve this customer, so what are their pain points?’ It’s a very different approach.” Merling prefers to execute on practical applications. She joined Arvest intent on making changes that matter. Digital Transformation That Touches Every Business Line Merling’s work is touching on all aspects of the $26 billion-asset bank, far beyond the retail banking area where digital transformation efforts often focus. She is overseeing tech initiatives related to agriculture lending, commercial banking and […]
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