AI, ROI, or Die – Cameron Ohlendorf, President, First Community Bank and Trust

Future Tech Banker is hosted by Alec Crawford, CEO of Verapath and Eric Cook. Together, they bring deep experience in AI, banking, digital strategy, risk, business development, and industry leadership. The podcast explores the trends, technologies, and ideas shaping the future of community banking, with conversations focused on innovation, growth, leadership, customer experience, and the future of the industry. This podcast is sponsored by Verapath ([www.verapath.com](www.verapath.com)) and WSI ([www.poweredbywsi.com](www.poweredbywsi.com)). **Meet our guest** Cameron Ohlendorf is the 10th president of First Community Bank and Trust, a 110-year-old, $200 million community bank 35 miles south of Chicago. He started at the bank as an intern, became its first commercial credit analyst, and over 15 years helped turn it from a 1–4 family lender into a small-business lender. He's a fellow Graduate School of Banking graduate and a proud "SOB" (son of a banker): his father, Greg, works alongside him at the bank. Cameron joins co-hosts Eric Cook and Alec Crawford to talk about how a two-branch bank uses 26–27 fintech partners and AI to compete in the Chicago market. **Top 5 takeaways** 1. **Size isn't an excuse not to innovate.** A two-branch bank with about 30 employees competes with regional and national banks by bringing in fintech partners, while keeping the local relationships customers value. 2. **Fix the process before you add the technology.** Cameron targets paper first and breaks each process into steps before adding technology. Commercial loan closings went from 5 hours to 5 minutes, and wire approvals now go straight to whoever can approve them. COVID already proved digital works, so there's no going backward. 3. **Using AI isn't enough: you need AI-specific cybersecurity.** AI tools like Claude help with work such as strategic-planning research, but attackers use the same technology. Cameron warns of very convincing phishing emails and synthetic identity fraud. Banks need defenses built for AI-driven threats, starting with stronger identity verification. 4. **ROI isn't only cost savings.** A basis point of income and a basis point of saved expense count the same. Often the return is the same staff covering more work and taking risk off the table, such as reviewing 100% of checks instead of a sample. 5. **Vet fintechs hard, and don't let the core hold you back.** Third-party risk management is the minimum bar, and the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator is where he finds and vets partners. The core is now the accounting record, and about half his fintechs never touch it. **Links mentioned** - First Community Bank and Trust: https://www.firstcbt.bank - Cameron named 10th president: https://www.firstcbt.bank/blog/post/first-community-bank-and-trust-announces-its-10th-president - ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator: https://icba.org/accelerator - Socratics (check fraud), ICBA article: https://icba.org/w/level-up-fraud-mitigation-for-community-banks - Quilo (personal loans), via First Community: https://firstcbt.bank/personal-banking/personal-loans - Micronotes, ICBA Solutions listing: https://solutions.icba.org/11842/Micronotes - Verapath: https://www.verapath.com - WSI: https://www.poweredbywsi.com - Eric Cook: https://wsiworld.com/eric-cook - Alec's post "Your Tech Budget as a Strategic Weapon": https://stayblog.substack.com/p/your-tech-budget-as-strategic-weapon © 2026 AI Risk. All rights reserved. I wrote the copyright as "AI Risk." If the legal name is different, like "AI Risk, Inc.," tell me and I'll change it. Cameron's LinkedIn is still a placeholder.