FinTech Magazine August 2019 | Page 141

PLAYING THE BALL IN FRONT

“ When you implement new technology , new skill sets are required and new jobs get created ”

— Steven Harpe , CIO , Gateway First Bank
PLAYING THE BALL IN FRONT
Most of Gateway ’ s growth up to this year ’ s bank acquisition and merger has been self-generated , so the new bank will be focusing on safeguarding its reputation as Harpe emphasizes . “ Over the coming years , we will see mainly organic growth mixed with some acquisitions . But to use a baseball analogy , we are very much a ‘ play the ball in front of you ’ company – one thing at a time . The ball in front of us is the bank transition , the transfer of our core systems to FIS and choosing the right loan origination partner .”
Digitizing the operations and leveraging 21st-Century technologies such as machine learning and automation will definitely not endanger jobs at Gateway , Harpe predicts . “ We are , in fact , creating scale . When you implement new technology , new skill sets are required and new jobs get created . We are excited about those opportunities , and even more excited about what this is going to provide for our clients . If you are a mortgage or a banking customer ( or hopefully both ) you are going to be able to consume Gateway First Bank through a common set of digital experiences from a single platform . That is where we are headed .”
The future of banking is omnichannel , and as such Gateway will try to achieve a full set of responsive , personalized digital services to its customers . For example , The Digital One Online Account Origination solution will allow customers to open and manage their accounts via mobile and laptop devices . “ This is a foundational time for us ,” enthuses Harpe . We are creating a brand new foundation so mobile banking , credit cards and personal finance will all be extendable through the APIs and digital services that we are building . Our customers will find it easy to find us and do business with us .”
Gateway First Bank is a nationwide operator that was founded in the communities of Oklahoma . Its community
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