CTO Ravi Nemalikanti on Abrigo’s AI journey
For the last episode of 2025, get to know Abrigo’s CTO, Ravi Nemalikanti, as he talks about his AI philosophy at Amazon’s AWS Re:Invent conference. Listen in to learn about the metrics Abrigo considers when making decisions about machine learning in its solutions, ensuring that those decisions support community banks and credit unions.
About the guest:
Ravi Nemalikanti is Abrigo’s Chief Product and Technology Officer and is responsible for leading technology strategy and determining product and development priorities to drive innovation and increase the company’s competitive advantage. Ravi is the Winner of the 2024 Haas Technology Leadership Awardee for North America by Carlyle, an award given to celebrate an exceptional technology leader. Before joining Abrigo in 2022, Ravi was the CTO of Digital Banking at NCR Corp., where he led the organization’s digital-first banking technology roadmap. Earlier, he held leadership roles in Tax and accounting, Global Trade, and Risk Management during 14 years at Thomson Reuters. Ravi holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Andhra University in Andhra Pradesh, India, and an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Helpful links:
Webinar: AI strategy for banking: Unlock the most value – Abrigo
Innovating without breaking the bank
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we sit down with Gary Fan, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Business Bank, to unpack what real innovation looks like inside a modern community bank. With experience spanning fintech, global institutions, and community banking, Gary brings a rare perspective on how regional banks can move faster, differentiate smarter, and still stay grounded in sound risk management.
Listeners will hear:
- Advice for launching new products without massive R&D teams
- How to build strong relationships with regulators early (and why it matters)
- Where AI and emerging tech actually fit into a bank’s strategic roadmap
- What the next generation of bank leaders and customers will expect
About the guest:
Gary Fan is the Chief Operating Officer of RBB, a publicly traded bank with over $4 billion in assets. As COO, Gary leads enterprise-wide growth initiatives, digital transformation, product and service innovation, and strategic M&A activity. He is also responsible for optimizing cross-functional operations and driving continuous business model evolution to stay ahead in a rapidly changing financial landscape.
Previously, Gary served as President of Gateway Bank FSB in Oakland, CA, where he successfully led a full-scale turnaround, overseeing all retail and commercial banking units and restoring profitability. His leadership has consistently delivered measurable results across diverse financial institutions.
Gary’s career spans senior roles at global financial organizations, including CTBC Bank, where he served as Head of Strategy for North America and Head of Consumer Lending for its U.S. subsidiary. His expertise includes fintech integration, strategic partnerships, market expansion, long-range planning, and organizational restructuring.
With P&L responsibility over multi-billion-dollar lending portfolios, Gary has led high-performing teams across Sales, Marketing, Retail and Commercial Banking, Operations, Credit Administration, Finance, IT & Security, HR, Legal, PMO, and Real Estate. His cross-industry experience includes Banking, Fintech, E-Commerce, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain & Logistics.
Gary holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at The Wharton School.
Helpful links:
Read about Royal Business Bank.
Learn about how AI integrates into Abrigo solutions: AI solutions for banks
Bring creativity into your financial institution
This episode’s guest is author, speaker, and “patron saint of crazy ideas” Kyle Scheele. Listen in as he makes the case that creativity at financial institutions isn’t confined to marketing teams—it’s simply problem-solving, and it belongs to everyone at your organization. He shares why “culture eats strategy,” explains the importance of making space for innovation in a traditional industry, and suggests practical ways leaders can experiment to reduce the big risk that all community FIs face: losing customers to more innovative competitors.
We’ll explore:
- The risk of losing customers to fintechs and how creativity helps you win trust.
- “Commit to the bit”: the surprising power of shared enthusiasm to build culture and collaboration.
- Two questions leaders should ask to unlock hidden solutions already inside the organization.
- Lightweight systems to surface employee ideas and how strong cultures act like magnets for attracting new talent.
About the guest:
Whether he’s holding a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people, hosting the world’s first fake marathon, or gaining a million TikTok followers in just 25 hours, Kyle Scheele is always on the lookout for crazy ideas that produce wildly outsized outcomes. Over the last decade, his projects have been featured in prominent outlets Fast Company, WIRED, The Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, UpWorthy, and Goalcast, among others. His videos have been viewed over 250 million times, and he has spoken to hundreds of thousands of audience members across the United States. More than anything, Kyle hopes that his story can inspire others to chase their own crazy ideas and become the people they were meant to be.
Helpful links:
Read about one of Kyle’s projects: Home Run Marathon attracts more participants than Boston Marathon on TikTok – The Washington Post
Hear more from Kyle at Abrigo’s 2026 ThinkBIG Conference.
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
Real-time payments and Stablecoin
Join us for an in-depth conversation on the topic of real-time payments, specifically the introduction of Stablecoin. In this conversation, we will discuss
- Definitions and differences of RTP vs Stablecoin
- Benefits and risks associated with both
- Regulatory concerns
- What financial institutions need to do to prepare for the more general adoption of this type of technology
We hope you enjoy the podcast
Helpful links:
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
Financially motivated sextortion
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we discuss a new threat targeting our youth, financially motivated sextortion, how it differs from its old iteration, and the traumatic aftermath of this crime. Our expert, Alison Jimenez, will explain the details of this crime and how financial institutions can play a vital role in identifying this crime.
Join us as we discuss:
- Definitions and descriptions of this crime
- Who is being targeted
- The role of financial institutions
- Ways for parents to identify and prevent this crime
Helpful links:
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we discuss the ripple effects of global trade, regulatory shifts, and advancing fraud threats with Duncan Taylor, SVP and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington Bankers Association.
Tune in as we explore:
- How tariffs and international trade tensions are impacting regional and agricultural banks
- What community banks should know about regulatory rollbacks and CFPB scrutiny
- The growing risks in fraud and why human nature, not just error, must be addressed
- How to prioritize responsible AI, compliance, and customer trust in tech investments
About the guest:
Duncan Taylor serves as SVP and COO of the Washington Bankers Association and President of both CareerWork$ and WBA Professional Services, Inc. A seasoned association management leader and not-for-profit consultant, Duncan brings a unique blend of operational expertise and policy insight. With deep roots in the industry, Taylor is passionate about financial education, responsible innovation, and building resilient communities through banking. He’s also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School and a self-professed bank data nerd who loves breaking down complex topics into approachable, actionable strategies. You can hear him talk trivia and show off his history knowledge on the Last Call Trivia Podcast.
Helpful links:
- Podcast: Integrity Solutions: Shaping Future Bankers with Duncan Taylor
- Webpage: AI solutions and resources for bankers
- Blog: AI and generative AI use cases in banking: 6 real-world examples
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
Bank spotlight: How self-serve technology and financial literacy programming have paid off for BankFive
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, you’ll hear innovative ideas on financial literacy programs and leveraging technology for better customer service from Anne Tangen, President and CEO of BankFive.
Tune in as we discuss:
- How to engage customers in learning about improving their credit
- The role of financial literacy in getting the right loan products in front of customers
- What BankFive is doing to improve its customer experience with thoughtfully designed branches
- How Tangen and her team have prioritized keeping a human touch in new self-serve technologies and how the investment has paid off
About the guest:
Anne P. Tangen joined BankFive in 2020 as its President and CEO. She has had a long and distinguished career in financial services, having served in various senior roles at Fidelity Investments, State Street Bank, and The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod. A respected leader in the industry, she sits on several high-profile boards, including the Massachusetts Bankers Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s First District’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC), which advises the Fed on the local economy, lending conditions, and other issues. In addition, she has been featured in the Boston Business Journal, Banker & Tradesman, and Bloomberg Radio Boston, and as a speaker at the New England Bankers Annual Conference and Future Branches Boston.
Anne is involved in various local nonprofits, including the Alden Pettengill Foundation Board of Argosy Collegiate Charter School in Fall River and the Savings Banks Employees Retirement Association (SBERA). She also serves on the Endowment Committee for the Fall River Historical Society.
Helpful links:
Webpage: About | BankFive
Webpage: Change Management Services | Abrigo
Blog: How accountants can leverage technology to boost client financial literacy, loyalty
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
Balancing AI capabilities and human expertise in loan review and beyond
In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we explore how Artificial Intelligence is transforming the loan review process, making it more efficient, accurate, and compliant—while ensuring that human expertise remains essential.
Joining us is Steve Wert, Vice President of DiCom Loan Review Solutions at Abrigo. With over 20 years of experience in market strategy and technology, Steve has played a pivotal role in the evolution of credit risk management. Previously, he served as President and CEO of DiCOM Software, a market-leading credit risk management solution that is now a part of Abrigo. His insights into AI-driven banking solutions provide a unique perspective on how technology can empower financial professionals rather than replace them.
Tune in as we discuss:
- How AI enhances, rather than replaces, human decision-making in loan reviews
- The role of AI in risk assessment, compliance, and efficiency
- Ethical considerations and how banks can integrate AI responsibly
- The future of AI in credit risk management and continuous monitoring
Helpful links:
Webpage: AI Solutions for Banks
Webpage: Loan Review Assistant
Blog: Generative AI in credit risk management: A game changer for loan review
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
The cannabis banking conundrum: Risks, regulations, and what’s next
With a new administration in office, speculation is running high on what the future holds for financial institutions working within the cannabis-related business (CRB) industry.
Today’s guest is Kevin Gulledge, Senior Risk Management Consultant at Abrigo and a seasoned expert in financial compliance. With extensive experience guiding banks and credit unions through the challenges of serving CRBs, Kevin brings valuable insight into the regulatory and operational hurdles financial institutions face.
In this episode, we’ll break down the current speculation surrounding cannabis banking under the new administration, what we’re hearing from bankers on the front lines, and any proposals in the pipeline that could impact financial institutions. Plus, we’ll explore the unknowns—those lingering uncertainties that could shape the future of CRB banking.
Helpful links:
CRB insights webpage: MJBizDaily | Cannabis Industry Financial & Legal News
Podcast: Banking on cannabis: Breaking down the SAFER Banking Act
Whitepaper: Providing financial services to cannabis-related businesses
Blog: Cannabis lending for financial institutions: Best practices
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
M&A considerations and accounting best practices for financial institutions
Bank mergers and acquisitions are on the rise, with institutions looking to expand, scale technology investments, and enhance profitability. But the accounting side of these deals—Day 1 valuation, CECL modeling, and income recognition—can introduce unexpected complexities that impact deal success.
In this episode, Abrigo Advisory’s Neekis Hammond and Derek Hipp bring their accounting expertise to discuss key accounting considerations for M&A transactions, such as common pitfalls and how leveraging data can streamline the transition. Join us to learn best practices for banks preparing for future acquisitions.
Helpful links:
Whitepaper: Valuation and purchase accounting in a dynamic macroenvironment
Webinar: Valuation and purchase accounting: Navigating the changing M&A landscape
Advisory services: Bank Valuation Services – Purchase Accounting Services
Join us for season 2!
Ahead of the curve: A banker’s podcast
Looking for ideas, tips, and best practices to take your financial institution to the next level? Look no further than this podcast featuring insights from banking leaders and advisors across the industry. We’ll tackle a range of topics — technology implementation, loan grading, banking cannabis, and more to ensure you stay ahead of the curve in this fast-changing environment.
You can find all episodes of the podcast on abrigo.com or on your favorite podcast app or platform.
