Citizens National Bank CTO on IT trends and challenges for small banks

April 11, 2024

8 Min Read

Tom Straun

CTO, Citizen National Bank

Tom joined CNB on October 19, 2015, and has enjoyed working with a dedicated team focused on serving the financial needs of customers in East Texas and beyond. CNB, founded over 85 years ago to support the agricultural and petroleum industries, is now nearing $2 billion in assets, while continuing its mission of supporting the communities it serves.

Sajid A. Khan

President, MicroAgility

Sajid, the founder of MicroAgility, brings over 30 years of experience in business transformation, with past roles at Deloitte, Merrill Lynch, and JP Morgan. At MicroAgility, he champions a people-first, agile approach to digital transformation, blending technology with human experiences. This vision has led to strong partnerships with businesses of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies.

Tom & Sajid discusses technology, challenges and trends in Banking Industry

Sajid Khan

Tom, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this interview. Can you please begin by sharing your perspective on the role of the CTO in Citizens National Bank?

Tom

Technology is evolving constantly, that’s the only given in my job. How we deploy those technologies and engage the people who use them in a positive way is the real positive in all of this. I’ve personally always believed that deploying technology without engaging people or determining how they benefit up front is often a fruitless endeavor.

There are times when you just have to do something, but the most enjoyable and rewarding outcomes are when people embrace the technologies you bring to the table and benefit from them – this is true whether they are an employee or a customer.

Sajid Khan

What have been some of the biggest challenges faced by small banks during the last couple of years?

Tom

If you ask any banking executive of any size you would likely hear regulatory burden as one of the biggest challenges faced by banks. Coming out of the real estate bubble a few years ago the government chose to punish banks who did the right things instead of supporting them  Compliance with these regulations has created a new industry within an industry and increased the costs of doing business.

The myth that banks are evil machines who seek to rob the populace are absolutely false. Banks, especially community banks, are made up of people who work and live in the same communities, go to church, shop, and send our kids to the same schools. Our owners and executives are part of these communities so we are incentivized to do the right things.

Sajid Khan

While keeping the systems up and running, how do you ensure that the IT organization is agile enough to respond quickly to clients’ changing needs?

Tom

Technology departments are becoming some of the biggest users of technology in a bid to keep staffing down, manage costs, be more accountable, but still deliver a great end-user experience. Automation of traditional help desk, employee self-service, and constant environmental monitoring enable tech teams to accomplish their missions.

Sajid Khan

What has been your proudest achievement in your career?

Tom

My proudest achievement was discovering that the key to technology was the people who use it. My first go as a technology executive challenged my perceptions and could have ended in failure quickly were it not for the realization that people are the ones using the technology and their buy-in is crucial to any perceived success and this is even more important when working with Board Members and Sr. Executives. Their faith in technology to deliver on a number of fronts is critical.

Sajid Khan

What is your leadership style? Does your leadership style vary based on your role?

Tom

My leadership style is rather easy – work hard, learn constantly, and encourage those that work with you to do the same. I do change my style depending on whether I am the project manager, business sponsor, or technological leader, but by and large I tend to trust my team members to accomplish tasks and operate within a framework of verification that ensures everyone is visible accountable.

Sajid Khan

What advice would you offer to our readers who aspire to follow in your footsteps?

Tom

Develop an understanding of the big picture and be willing to surrender the need to control everything. By this I mean you cannot be an effective technology executive by continuing to write command line or code. Understanding and keeping yourself up to date about the capabilities of technology is important, but your role has to evolve into becoming more of a business partner.

To do this you need to improve your communications skills – this means public speaking, written language, and effective leadership skills. I like to think of myself as a technologist who evolved into a businessperson and who is entrepreneurial in thought and attitude.

Sajid Khan

Is there anything else you would like to share with your fellow C-level executives?

Tom

Don’t focus too heavily on the problems to the point that all you begin to see are obstacles. Instead, focus broadly on each opportunity and by doing so you develop solutions that solve multiple issues. I would also share the need to be involved with technology in the areas that you operate. Look at your IT teams as collaborators and partners and you will have greater success than if you viewed them as strictly a service bureau.

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