As business clients expect more proactive, informed banking, innovative community and regional banks are using AI to help commercial bankers spot opportunities earlier, engage prospects with more relevance, and bring consistency to business development. The premise is simple: AI won’t replace relationship managers – it helps them know who to call, why, and what to discuss. This session follows one community bank from pilot to bank-wide rollout across its relationship-manager teams, what the market managers actually experienced, the operating-model changes it required, and the results it produced. Such transformation is enabling banks of any size to compete for commercial relationships against the AI budgets of the largest banks.
Privately-owned, US-based manufacturer of VISA & Mastercard EMV cards (including credit, debit, & prepaid) for banks, credit unions, and fintech. Highly personalized customer support with direct line to CEO. Competitive pricing and lead times. Able to support a wide variety of chip technologies for dual-interface and contact-only chip cards.
Oscar D. Johnson, Jr. joined Wintrust in 2025 and serves as the Executive Vice President of Business and Community Banking which includes oversight of Wintrust’s SBA offering.
Prior to Wintrust, Oscar spent 11 years at BMO where he led Business Banking in the U.S. before transitioning to lead Treasury Management Sales in his last role. He served in varying leadership roles prior to BMO at LaSalle Bank, CIBC and Associated Bank.
His roles in Financial Services and within the Chicago community have shaped his reputation as an experienced banker, passionate leader, strategic planner and analytical thinker.
He currently serves on the boards of UCAN and the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation. He recently rolled off the boards at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Allies for Community Business and IFF. He’s intentional about providing access to opportunity for those in need and his life’s mission is to serve others in board seats and through mentorship.
Oscar is originally from Milwaukee, WI. He’s a graduate of Howard University and earned an MBA from Marquette University.
Carlos Lopez serves as the Senior Analyst supporting Digital Banking, Core Banking, and Treasury Management for Corporate Strategy at Jack Henry & Associates. His thought leadership centers around analyzing market trends, identifying vendors of interest, & evaluating competitive intelligence to help drive company roadmaps and close solution gaps.
Welles Borie is a Principal Technical Product Manager at FIS, where he leads strategy and development for the FIS Origination Suite—a unified digital platform that helps financial institutions automate account opening, lending, and credit card applications for both consumers and small businesses.
Welles has more than 15 years of experience building financial software and scaling fintech platforms. Before joining FIS through its 2025 acquisition of Amount, he was the Principal Product Manager for Amount’s small business segment, where he delivered flexible lending and account opening. His career also includes serving as Senior Director of Product at Linear Financial Technologies and holding several key product roles at Fundation, where he helped expand its digital lending-as-a-service platforms. He started his career at J.P. Morgan, spending five years working across mortgage advisory, financial sponsors, and alternative investment groups. Welles holds a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College.
FIS® Origination Suite delivers an AI-powered, core-agnostic platform that combines digital experiences with strong risk mitigation. Deeply integrated into the FIS ecosystem, including core banking and digital banking platforms, it enables you to attract and retain customers and members without a costly, complex system overhaul.
The gap between what leaders intend to prioritize and what teams actually execute has never been wider, or more consequential. In a fast-moving environment, the line between what is interesting and what is truly important can blur, making it harder to sustain focus while keeping teams engaged and motivated. This fireside chat explores how leaders can drive meaningful colleague engagement while maintaining disciplined sales execution. Patrick Cristino will share perspectives on navigating competing priorities, distinguishing high-impact work from distractions and balancing inspiration with accountability. The discussion will examine how leaders can create clarity, reinforce ownership and translate engagement into measurable performance—ensuring teams stay energized while delivering consistent, results-driven execution.