Speakers

Gabriel (Gabe) Krajicek is the Chief Executive Officer of Kasasa. Glassdoor listed Gabe on the 2018 Top CEOs list as part of their Employees’ Choice Awards, and since 2005, Gabe has helped more than 800 community banks and credit unions establish lasting consumer relationships in their local markets. Prior to Kasasa, Gabe was President and CEO of DealerSkins, an automotive web solutions provider that served 1,200 auto dealers. Gabe took the helm in 2001, spearheading a five- year plan to drive the company into profitable territory. Gabe serves on the board of the Association for Financial Technology. He earned his MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owens Graduate School of Management and his BS from Louisiana State University.

A 20-year veteran of the financial services and technology industry, Keith Brannan increases ROI for community financial institutions by aligning organizational design, differentiated brand strategy, go-to-market initiatives, and a vision for consumer and corporate marketing tactics with sales objectives. Keith designs and scales marketing products in order for community financial institutions to have access to best-in-class marketing.

Prior to Kasasa, Keith was Vice President of Strategic Marketing for Country Financial, where he directed sales, marketing, and brand strategy, as well as resource management and marketing program design. Keith holds an Executive Education Certificate from Kellogg Management Institute and a BA in Psychology from the University of Alabama.

Jen leads the team responsible for managing Kasasa’s suite of consumer-facing products and services that help community financial institutions meet their strategic goals. She’s been at Kasasa for over eight years, starting as an Executive Consultant where she worked to help financial institutions with their performance and profitability.

Jen received her MBA with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas – McCombs School of Business. She also has her CFA designation and holds a BS in Marketing from Lehigh University.

Patrick Laughlin is responsible for developing and executing upon Kasasa’s overall government relations, regulatory agency, and compliance strategies and initiatives. He and his team research regulatory requirements for current and future products. They also create and maintain account holder disclosures and marketing disclaimer guidance for clients. At the same time, they develop relationships with influential government and regulatory officials to minimize regulatory risks and generate positive business outcomes for Kasasa financial institutions.

During his tenure with Kasasa, Patrick has held multiple management roles; resolved a major regulatory misunderstanding with a federal banking agency; automated the generation of TISA and TILA disclosures and disclaimers; and has participated in more than 400 meetings with Members of the United States Congress and/or their staff, lobbying for regulatory relief and reform for community financial institutions.

Patrick graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in Psychology.

Thomas Shields is the Director of Product Management at Kasasa. He designs frameworks and builds products that grow revenue, improve performance, and generate happiness for Kasasa clients.

Thomas is responsible for Connect^®, Kasasa’s marketing automation platform designed exclusively for community financial institutions (CFIs). In his previous roles as Vice President of Marketing Program Delivery, Thomas was responsible for the end-to-end delivery of Kasasa.

He graduated cum laude from Southwestern University with a BS in Environmental Studies. He is a Certified ScrumMaster and received his Process Management Certification from University of Texas.

Melissa is a leadership coach with a long track record of building high-performing, human capital and retail experience solutions for financial institutions.

A veteran of the finance and training industries, she consults and trains Kasasa’s partner institutions, helping them drive positive sales cultures and brand experiences, including a pragmatic approach to change management. Her team has equipped hundreds of institutions to provide white-glove service that out-classes what megabanks can achieve.

Melissa’s communication skills and focus on results make her a trusted advisor to community financial institution leaders. Her approach to coaching has proven time and again that world-class customer service is a major key to sustainable retail growth for Kasasa’s clients.