Want unlimited access to top ideas and insights?
Scott Ramon is a coder at heart. The CTO of $1.25 billion NBKC Bank in Kansas City manages a team of 18 software engineers charged, in part, with cutting out third-party vendors wherever possible. He also advises senior management on how technology can enhance customer experiences, drive efficiencies and achieve strategic objectives.
Even so, Ramon is not above assigning himself to "build jobs" where he's writing code. "I love the creative aspect of writing software," he says. "I'm a builder. It's what gives me energy."
Since arriving in 2018, Ramon has overseen the building of software solutions, customized to NBKC's needs, that he's confident are equal to any big bank offering. "We rarely say, 'We're just a community bank.' We look at what they're doing and say, 'Why don't we do that?'" he explains. "We always want to punch above our weight when it comes to innovation."
Custom software development is Ramon's main passion. NBKC is a big online mortgage originator, lending in all 50 states; his team created a proprietary assessment tool that matches loan officers with specific customers based on a variety of variables, such as loan size or demographics, to help drive growth.
He's also boosted the usage of AI across the organization but views it as more of a "behind-the-scenes workhorse" than something to be used directly with customers. There are no chatbots in NBKC's immediate future, Ramon says.
The best use cases make processes like document workflows more efficient and user-friendly. One example: a customized onboarding system, for both loans and deposit accounts, that CEO Michael Bartkoski says also improves customer experiences. Ramon also created a solution to quickly sort through various forms and formats and identify discrepancies in home purchase and deposit documents.
"Scott's on the frontlines, solving problems and deciding what aligns best with the overall direction of the bank," Bartkoski says. "He helps get us the most bang for our buck."
A fan of experimental jazz, Ramon isn't afraid to improvise when needed. NBKC leverages a platform from Palantir, the software firm best known for Defense Department contracts, as a "data hub" that can be accessed directly by business lines, enabling better, faster decisions. "It raises some eyebrows at banking conferences," he concedes.
Bartkoski calls Ramon "hands-down one of the smartest dudes I've ever met," and says his biggest concern is his CTO's love of coding. "As he has more success, he needs to spend more time managing than building." It's a trade-off Ramon could find challenging but is likely to embrace.
