Infrastructure First - Nexcess

***“Infrastructure used to be invisible. Now, it’s the brand.*** ***” - Kamila Thompson*** Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Kamila Thompson, Senior Director of Growth at Nexcess. She comes on the show to discuss the way that we think about technology, trust, and the future of digital banking. Listen as we talk about protecting a credit union’s core system and why the systems surrounding it can have an even more profound impact on security, compliance, and the member experience. Throughout our conversation, Kamila explains how digital transformation has left many institutions managing vendors and integrations, creating complications that often are not understood until an examination or outage exposes the gaps. She shares some practical insights into why leaders need to explain the “why” of their technology in plain language, and we also discuss what organizations can do to better prepare for future exams while strengthening resilience behind the scenes.  We explore how member expectations have changed over time—reliability is no longer defined by branch hours or friendly service alone but is measured by whether digital experiences work flawlessly when members need them. Kamila makes the case that infrastructure has become part of a credit union’s brand and that trust is built via consistent and dependable technology! As we wrap up the episode, Kamila looks ahead to AI-ready infrastructure, the growing role of purpose-built cloud environments, and why credit unions shouldn’t have to choose between innovation, compliance, and security. She also undergoes our usual round of rapid-fire questions, and you're going to want to tune in for her answers. Enjoy my conversation with Kamila Thompson! **Connect with Kamila:** Kamila Thompson, Senior Director of Growth at Nexcess nexcess.com Kamila: LinkedIn Nexcess: LinkedIn | YouTube **Show notes from this episode:** Shout-out: Indiana Jones Shout-out: Kamila’s daughter Shout-out: Star Wars Shout-out: Kamila’s grandfather Shout-out: Robbie’s grandfather Place mentioned: California Place mentioned: Washington Place mentioned: New York Place mentioned: New Jersey Place mentioned: Nashville, Tennessee Place mentioned: The Great Smoky Mountains Book mentioned: The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut Shout-out: John von Neumann **In this episode:** \[1:30] - Hear how Kamilla found an ideal fit at Nexcess, combining her passions for marketing, data, and secure infrastructure. \[4:58] - Kamilla discusses how rapid digital transformation often leads to hidden compliance risks without a strong infrastructure foundation. \[7:21] - It’s important for leaders to understand and document their digital infrastructure to meet regulatory expectations. \[9:44] - Reliable digital infrastructure has become central to member trust, satisfaction, and long-term retention. \[12:32] - For the foreseeable future, Nexcess will be focusing on AI-ready infrastructure, as it enables financial institutions to scale without sacrificing speed or compliance. \[13:54] - We learn why Kamilla looked up to her grandfather. \[15:11] - Traveling with Nexcess has inspired Kamilla to explore Nashville and the Smoky Mountains. \[15:52] - Hear why Kamilla recommends the book The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. \[16:46] - Kamilla explains how getting up early helps her maintain balance. \[17:41] - In closing, Kamilla argues that lasting digital trust depends on reliable infrastructure, not just polished apps.