Beyond the Deal: What Makes M&A Work

Mergers, a long-running high-rate environment and a tighter market for executive talent are all putting pressure on how credit unions plan for leadership. In this sponsored episode, Matt Jakubowski of Gallagher’s executive benefits team talks about how credit union boards and executives can attract, retain and prepare the leaders they’ll need five and ten years from now. Matt explains why “what happens if we merge?” is now one of the first questions boards ask about executive benefit plans, and why those provisions should be spelled out before a plan is funded. He covers how higher interest rates have changed the economics of these plans while IRS limits for not-for-profit cooperatives have stayed the same, and why ongoing plan monitoring matters more now. He also gets into how yield pressure is leading credit unions to ask about new investment options, how to use peer benchmarking data starting from a clear compensation philosophy, and what it takes to compete for executives coming from other industries who may already have these benefits. In this episode: How merger activity is shaping executive benefit plan design and due diligence What a sustained higher-rate environment means for executive benefit plans Why plan monitoring after the sale matters as much as the initial design Using peer benchmarking to build a competitive compensation strategy Competing for leadership talent from outside the credit union industry This episode is sponsored by Gallagher.   Chapters:   1:26 Get to know Matt. 3:31 How increased merger activity is influencing the way FI leaders approach executive planning. 5:31 The influence high interest rates continue to have on executive benefits plans. 7:18 The impact an increased focus on yields is having on Gallagher. 9:25 What role does peer benchmarking play in helping credit unions make informed decisions? 12:22 What FIs should be doing right now to attract their future leaders.

In this episode of The Allied Angle, Allied Solutions President Bill Gould and OnPath Credit Union President & CEO Jared Freeman talk about what separates an M&A deal that looks good on paper from one that works and share what they've learned from credit union mergers, a credit union buying a bank, and an acquisition that has played out for more than 20 years.   In this episode:  01:54  – Meet Bill and Jared.  08:02 – How Securian’s acquisition of Allied influenced Bill’s approach to M&A.   11:36 – Jared’s experience guiding OnPath’s M&A journey.  13:54 – Why the best M&A strategies start with a specific problem to solve and aren’t necessarily about growth.  15:44 – "How should a leader should decide whether to build it, buy it, invest in it, or partner with it?"  17:13 – How leaders should factor technology into an acquisition, and when to bring in outside help.  22:19 – Why culture is the hardest piece to measure and the easiest to underestimate.  28:23 – How to know whether a deal delivered what it was supposed to.  32:24 – The difference between being ready to sign a deal and being ready to do the work that comes after it.  37:36 – The difference between a deal that closes and a deal that works.

Members now walk into the branch with an answer already in hand. If every institution eventually runs the same technology and serves up the same information, does the tech stop being the differentiator? Robert Dozier, President and CEO of Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, and Mark Rodriguez, Senior Vice President at Allied Solutions, make the case that it already has. Their argument: as AI becomes table stakes, trust becomes the scarce resource, and the institutions that own it will have something the technology can't replicate.   In this episode:   0:43 Get to know Mark and Robert  8:29 The AI modernization paradox: How leaders are navigating both opportunities and risks associated with AI adoption.  11:50 Building trust with the member when access to information stops being a differentiator.  17:52 Maintaining trust in communication in an age where deepfakes and impersonators grow in sophistication daily.  26:15 The impact AI and fraud have on member education.  28:46 Being top of wallet: How building trust is a growth strategy.  31:47 What does it take to earn the words trusted partner?  39:55 "The more technology we introduce, the more valuable authentic human interactions can become."  42:57 As AI becomes more ubiquitous, what separates the institutions people trust most from everyone else?  46:56 The one thing FIs should aggressively automate versus the one thing they should never automate.

Executive benefit programs are one of the biggest financial investments a credit union can make for its leadership team and most of the industry's attention goes to getting them implemented. But what happens after that is where things often go wrong. In this episode, Dale Edwards, Co-founder and CEO, and Matt Morris, VP of Client Relations, of Triscend NP talk about the ongoing servicing, relationship, and partnership standards that credit union leaders should be expecting from their executive benefit providers — and often aren't getting. From annual plan reviews to proactive check-ins to the "set it and forget it" failure pattern, this conversation covers the full lifecycle of an executive benefit program and why it matters far beyond the initial implementation.   In this episode:   00:00 — Intro  00:53 — Meet the Guests: Dale Edwards & Matt Morris 02:26 — Icebreakers: The Angle Accelerator Q&A 04:52 — What Does It Mean to Actively Service a Benefit Program? 07:15 — Setting the Cadence: Annual Reviews & Ongoing Check-Ins 08:20 — Where the Industry Falls Short After Implementation 10:32 — Leading with Product vs. Process: The "Hammer & Nail" Problem 11:47 — Vendor or Partner? The TriscendNP Philosophy 13:00 — What a Credit Union Needs to Bring to the Table 14:34 — The One Thing Credit Unions Most Often Lack 15:48 — How the Relationship Impacts Executive Talent Retention 17:05 — Key Takeaways for Credit Union Leaders 19:51 — Closing & Where to Learn More     Sponsored by TriscendNP.

AI is full of promise for financial institutions — but it also comes with real questions around governance, compliance, and trust. In Part 2 of this conversation, PortX CTO Jon Fancey shifts the lens from what AI is doing today to what it means for FI leaders making decisions right now. From building responsible AI frameworks in a still-evolving regulatory environment, to whether smaller community institutions can actually compete with mega-banks, to a sneak peek at what PortX is building next — this episode is where the technology story meets business reality.   In this episode:   00:59  Skepticism over governance of AI when it’s embedded in your integration and data platforms. 03:10   Building for compliance when the rules are still being written. 05:47   What does the integration layer of a financial institution look like when AI is fully embedded? 10:10   Is there a future where AI essentially makes integrations self-healing? 12:03   Does AI change the dynamic between community institutions and big banks when it comes to technology adoption? 14:13   The one thing the industry is getting wrong about AI and integration right now. 19:24  “You don’t have to understand everything about AI to lead the revolution.” 21:12   Final thoughts from Jon on the future of AI.

Auto loan risk used to come down to one question: did the borrower pay? Not anymore. Anne Holtzman, SVP of Risk Management Services at Allied Solutions, discusses how fraud, insurance gaps, and a strained recovery system compounds losses across auto lending, often long before recovery ever begins. Anne draws on nearly 40 years in insurance and lending to walk through what's changed, including the insurance signals that appear about 90 days before a missed payment, the rise in voluntary surrenders and $11,000 deficiency balances, how title washing and lost-lien fraud let borrowers slip away with the collateral, where AI helps and where human judgment still has to lead, and the one mindset shift that separates proactive institutions from reactive ones. A practical listen for risk, lending, and collections leaders at credit unions and banks.   In this episode:    00:53   Get to know Anne. 03:35   The different risks lenders are managing as opposed to just a few years ago. 06:52   How insurance is an early indicator of borrower trouble. 10:57    What’s driving the shift from can’t pay to won’t pay? 14:19    The underlying shift that explains why younger generations are more likely to skip their car payments. 16:25    How fraud that slips through at funding ends up resurfacing and compounding costs at the recovery stage. 22:41    Are lenders looking for a better strategy when it comes to fraud during the loan cycle? 23:55   When a vehicle enters recovery, how much loss has already occurred, and where did it happen? 27:22   How does AI help lending institutions see risk sooner, while still keeping leaders in control? 30:17   The mindset change that separates the institutions getting ahead of this, from the ones stuck reacting. 

Financial institutions have been wrestling with integration challenges for decades — legacy cores, fragmented data, and costly point-to-point connections that slow everything down. But AI is starting to change the equation. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Jon Fancey, Chief Technology Officer at PortX, sits down to dig into what the integration problem really looks like on the ground, where AI is delivering measurable value today versus where it's still mostly hype, and why the foundation you build on now will determine whether your institution is ready for what's coming next.   In this episode:   01:27    Get to know Jon 03:06    The challenges at the intersection of technology and business. 04:39    How the speed of technology is an inhibitor to modernization. 05:41    Where AI is delivering measurable value when it comes to integrations and data workflows. 07:55   How AI is impacting FIs ability to attract top tech talent. 12:35   What’s enabling the acceleration in AI-powered integration platforms? 18:49   How AI will influence future technology transformations. 20:54   How data fragmentation can limit AI development. 22:53   Using AI not just to store data, but to act on it with confidence. 24:12   The normalization of real-time data visibility. 27:03  One final message for FI leaders: Is the technology you’re using right now going to be suitable in five years?      

If your credit union is offering a 401(k), you're already familiar with the administrative weight that comes with it — the compliance, the fiduciary responsibilities, the vendors you're managing. But there's a newer plan structure that's been quietly gaining traction, and it might change how you think about all of that. In this episode, we're joined by Bob Edgar from The Standard and Morgan Steves from Gallagher to break down Pooled Employer Plans — what they are, who they're actually a good fit for, and where the market is heading. Whether you're actively evaluating your retirement plan options or just want to stay ahead of the conversation, this one's worth your time.   In this episode: 00:45  Get to know Bob and Morgan. 05:06  What is a Pooled Employer Plan, and how does it differ from what credit unions typically offer? 07:57  How to evaluate whether a PEP is the right fit for your credit union. 10:57  What’s driving the increased interest in PEPs, and where does industry adoption stand today? 12:57  Common misconceptions organizations have when evaluating their retirement plans. 17:26  The future for PEPs in the credit union space and what’s next for the industry. 20:33  Final advice for leaders considering a PEP for their organization.   This episode is sponsored by The Standard.   The Standard is the marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries. StanCorp Equities, Inc., member FINRA, wholesales a group annuity contract issued by Standard Insurance Company and a mutual fund trust platform for retirement plans. Standard Retirement Services, Inc., provides financial recordkeeping and plan administrative services. Investment advisory services are  provided by StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., a registered investment advisor. StanCorp Equities, Inc., Standard Insurance Company,  Standard Retirement Services, Inc., and StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., are subsidiaries of StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and all  are Oregon corporations.   Investment advisory services are offered by Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC (“GFA”), an SEC registered investment advisor that provides retirement, investment advisory, discretionary and independent fiduciary services. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC.  GFA is a limited liability company with Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. as its single member. GFA may pay referral fees or other remuneration to employees of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. or its affiliates or to independent contractors; such payments do not change our fee. Neither Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., GFA, their affiliates nor representatives provide accounting, legal or tax advice. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth. Neither Osaic Wealth nor their affiliates provide accounting, legal or tax advice.

How do you know if a partnership is actually driving growth — or just adding complexity? In this episode of The Allied Angle, Mark Bugalski, Allied's Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, breaks down what makes a strategic partnership a true force multiplier for banks and credit unions — and what makes it a distraction. Mark shares the framework Allied uses to evaluate every partnership, why speed to market is the real competitive differentiator for financial institutions right now, and how to tell whether your vendor relationships are accelerating your strategy or quietly holding you back.    Register for the April 30th webinar, Beyond the Hype: Unlocking AI ROI Through Better Data Integration, featuring Allied's Charlie Peterson and PortX's CEO, David Wexler.   In this episode:   00:51  Meet Mark Bugalski. 07:22  Legacy core systems, batch processing, and manual workarounds: a recipe for stalled growth. 09:18  What separates a partnership that multiplies your capabilities from one that adds another layer of complexity? 13:19   The internal decision process: choosing a partner or building in-house. 17:49  The criteria Allied uses to move forward with a partner or decide to walk away. 22:00  Why Allied went all-in on PortX. 26:13   The momentum around PortX: Clients weigh in on Allied’s new partnership. 27:17   Why speed to market is a critical differentiator right now. 30:48  How quickly FIs are adopting AI right now. 33:08  What does it look like when a partnership is a distraction and actually slows you down? 34:30  Allied's internal tech transformation: why they adopt it first before passing it on to clients. 37:57   How open banking readiness is setting lending institutions up for long-term success. 41:07   Red flags to watch for in vendor partnerships. 42:48  How to know which vendor relationships are multipliers and which ones are distractions.

Credit unions have a built-in advantage that most financial brands spend years trying to earn — member trust. But trust alone isn't a strategy. In this episode of the Allied Angle, Dawn Goldbacher, GVP and Head of Market Strategy and Growth at Franklin Madison joins the show to explore what "member-first" really looks like in practice. Whether you're leading strategy at a credit union, bank, or affinity group, this episode will challenge you to rethink how your institution approaches member engagement, financial protection, and responsible personalization.   00:50 - Meet Dawn Goldbacher. 04:14 - How trust influences a member's willingness to purchase protection through their credit union. 05:51 - What it takes to truly understand a member's needs and context. 06:52 - How credit unions can use data to deliver protection in a way that feels helpful.  08:41 - Even with all the data, the best insights won't land if the outreach isn't personal and well-timed.  10:38 - The importance of breadth of choice and why it matters from a strategic standpoint.  12:10 - What you should know about Franklin Madison and how they work closely with Allied.    This episode is sponsored by Franklin Madison — helping organizations redefine consumer engagement with turnkey insurance solutions. Learn more at franklin-madison.com.