PAUL FEILMEIER
Chief Information Officer at BankFirst
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I am currently the Chief Information Officer for BankFirst. My role is to lead technology transformation, my desire is to help the business and people be more successful. I'm located in Norfolk, Nebraska. My passion is people. People will always come before anything else.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
Believe it or not, I grew up on a dairy farm in Northeast Nebraska. My parents brought me up with their values and hard work, but I knew that farming was not my interest. That is my core and I'm thankful for the head start they provided me. For the early part of my career, I was a System/Network Analyst. As I learned more, I thankfully was surrounded by amazing humans that gave me the motivation to do more. Every step in my education/professional development was for a reason. I wanted to always have an edge over any other candidates when pursuing the next opportunity. I sought after industry-agnostic skills and certifications rather than specific to one organization. I never wanted to pigeonhole myself to one place and not be allowed to grow.
A few examples: I pursued a Lean Six Sigma certification because I knew it could provide me an edge anywhere or it would help me be promoted internally. I became certified in PMI Project Management for the exact same reason. Every year, I find something to focus on that helps me personally or professionally. It does not necessarily mean that I am looking for a new job, but rather be someone that can be relied on in any situation. Most recently, I graduated from Wharton School of Business with a Chief Technology Officer certificate. As you'd expect, it's opened doors with a global network and prepared me better for the BankFirst CIO position.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
Initially, out of college, I hadn't really considered going into leadership. During a 2 year stint working in manufacturing IT, I was strongly encouraged to take the leadership track. During that time, I did a self-assessed SWOT analysis of myself. I was encouraged to pursue more education and then I developed a career map. Really to the point that if I did this or achieved that, I would have an opportunity to take another step forward in my career as a tech leader. I always had an interest in the banking industry and do feel like it's been part of the master plan.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey? (If you feel comfortable, please share their name and how they helped you)
I’ve been fortunate to have several mentors throughout my career who have significantly impacted me. One individual who has profoundly influenced my leadership style is Betsy Feilmeier. While we worked as colleagues at the same hospital, her experience as a Director allowed her to offer valuable insights and guidance. Through formal and informal discussions outside of work, she helped me navigate complex scenarios and interpersonal dynamics.
During my seven years working with Brian Sterud in healthcare IT, he consistently played a pivotal role in my professional development. From the outset, he demonstrated unwavering faith in my abilities, entrusting me with progressively greater responsibilities as I honed my skills and delivered results. He fostered a culture of encouragement and active listening, setting a powerful example of true leadership. Recognizing my potential, Brian readily introduced me to other key IT leaders, demonstrating his genuine interest in my career trajectory. As I progressed, he took pride in my growth, solidifying the positive impact he had on my professional journey.
I’m particularly grateful for the guidance and support of these three individuals: Courtney Burbach, Pooja Iyer, and Jessica Dvorak. Throughout my career, they have each played a significant role in my growth and development.
Courtney’s strategic insights were invaluable during my time leading the hospital’s IT department transformation. Pooja encouraged me to continue my educational journey while working in manufacturing IT. Jessica’s unwavering support and constructive feedback empowered me to approach challenges with greater confidence and take calculated risks.
I’m incredibly grateful for the support and mentorship. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping my leadership style and approach, and I’m truly thankful for their presence in my professional journey.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
In theory, the IT leader understands the business and processes as well or better than anyone else because of their role. This person must shift focus from being the tech expert to the business expert. Move away from implementing technology to now innovation with emerging technologies. Technology leaders are project managers at heart, their role will continue to evolve, their partnership with vendors, departments, and the overall technology ecosystem will drive progress. Vendors are no longer vendors; they are partners in organizational success.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Essential skills: Emotional intelligence, charisma, empathy, change management, humility and ability to have fun and laugh.
Hard skills: Innovation mindset, understanding of the business, crisis management, agile/DevOps principles and data-driven decision-making.
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
Continuous learning and development at every corner. Seeking individuals to learn from, extending my education through certifications or degrees, attending conferences, and reading books. I really believe in the self-reflection SWOT analysis. If you can be humble, it really helps identify areas to focus on. I am then intentional about setting realistic and achievable goals. I make a pointed effort to schedule lunch with individuals to stay in touch and learn from each other. One other thought is putting myself out there and speaking at national conferences.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
I really like this question because it allows creativity. Generative A.I. is by far and away the technology that is disrupting every industry in some way. It will continue to provide more automation and make jobs easier.
Low-code/no-code and the convergence of technologies. Less coding and customization when you implement an application will allow for faster innovation. The convergence of technologies will allow interaction and stronger integrations. Again, providing more potential for innovation.
The Metaverse, Web3 and Web4 as they evolve will be important for personalized banking and walking customers through different banking processes. Web3 introduces blockchain and smart contracts. While regulations are still a challenge with blockchain, I believe we will see the day that the technology can truly be introduced to banking. Web4 is in the very early stages but offers the semantic and more interactive side of the web working with the customer.
"Be genuine."
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Be honest with yourself. Reflect on your strengths and opportunities, continue to excel on your strengths but also focus on improving on your opportunities. Be intentional on your goals, set a personal mission statement, and vision statement and live according to your values. Understand your leadership style and develop your own leadership checklist. Convey your character to the organization and those around you. Build relationships and your network, go out of your way to meet regularly with others.
Be genuine.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I'm at a point in my career, that I'd like to give back to future generations. I'd like to be a positive influence for my family, friends and colleagues. Listen more and talk less. I will continue to grow my skills. If I am not growing my skills, I am losing them. I'm committed to BankFirst and ensuring we are the bank for our customers.
A big thank you to Paul Feilmeier from BankFirst for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
