Hello everyone!
One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is the opportunity to connect face-to-face with so many members of the MDT community. While technology enables us to collaborate every day, there is still something special about gathering together, sharing ideas, and learning from one another. Over the past few months, we’ve had the chance to do exactly that through industry events, client meetings, and most notably, our annual MDT E3 Conference.
One of the highlights of the spring was our MDT E3 Conference, held in May at the historic Westin Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit. We welcomed more than 300 attendees, including 25 partners, two prospective clients, and representatives from nearly 60% of our core client base. It was a great opportunity to bring together the MDT community to share ideas, learn from one another, and discuss the future of our industry.
A favorite moment of the conference was hosting attendees at a Detroit Tigers game, complete with a pre-game dinner on the Tigers’ entertainment deck. While a little rain made an appearance, it certainly didn’t dampen the experience. The event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with clients, partners, and industry peers in a relaxed setting and further strengthen the relationships that make our community so special.
Another conference highlight was a Q&A session featuring Greg Adelson, President and CEO of Jack Henry, and myself, hosted by Gary Lee (MDT Chief Client Officer). Together, we discussed how MDT and Jack Henry continue to work closely to deliver technology, service, and innovation to credit unions. We also talked about the accelerated pace of change affecting our industry and the importance of remaining flexible, adaptable, and willing to embrace new opportunities. Those themes were reflected throughout the conference, which featured a purposeful agenda centered around service, partnerships, consulting, and development. From keynote presentations and panel discussions to partner sessions and peer conversations, the energy and engagement throughout the event were outstanding. We are already looking forward to making next year’s E3 Conference even bigger and better.
In April, MDT reached another important milestone with the general availability launch of our custom Banno code development and hosting solution. This new service allows credit unions to extend the capabilities of the Banno platform and create differentiated member experiences tailored to their unique needs. We believe that combining MDT’s expertise with the Jack Henry Symitar Core, the Banno platform, and our direct experience supporting both technologies creates one of the most powerful technology ecosystems available to credit unions today. If you haven’t explored the latest capabilities of the Banno platform recently, I encourage you to reach out to your Client Success Manager to schedule a demonstration and learn what’s possible.
Our consulting practice also continues to experience strong growth as credit unions seek additional resources and expertise to accelerate strategic initiatives. Whether through Project Management as a Service, merger assistance, technology optimization engagements, process mapping, or operational streamlining, our consulting team is helping organizations execute projects more efficiently and maximize the value of their technology investments. We remain committed to meeting credit unions where they are and providing practical solutions that help drive meaningful results.
One topic that continues to generate significant discussion at our CEO Forum, E3 Conference, and throughout the industry is what many are calling “The Great Wealth Transfer.” As generational wealth shifts over the coming decades, credit unions have a tremendous opportunity to strengthen relationships with existing members while attracting the next generation of account holders. To help explore this important topic, MDT recently published a new white paper that provides insights, trends, and considerations for credit union leaders as they prepare for the future.
As always, our team remains active across the country attending state league conferences, industry events, and credit union gatherings. We value every opportunity to connect with our clients and industry partners face-to-face and learn more about the opportunities and challenges you are experiencing. Keep an eye out for MDT at upcoming events in October at Go West Maxx in Denver (October 6-9) and Jack Henry Connect in Kansas City (October 19-21), and please stop by and say hello if you see us there.
The ideas, questions, and feedback we receive from our clients continue to shape the future of MDT. Thank you for sharing your perspectives and for challenging us to continuously improve. We remain committed to helping credit unions navigate change with confidence and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.
Warm regards,
Chris Kowal
President & Chief Executive Officer
MDT