In this episode of This Month in Banking, we’re joined by Matt Burke, Chairman & CEO of Mutual Bancorp, the mutual holding company for Cape Cod Five, Fidelity Bank, and soon Bluestone Bank. Matt brings a front‑line perspective on how community banks can rethink growth in today’s challenging environment—where deposit behavior, technology expectations, and consolidation pressures are reshaping the industry.
We dig into how mutual institutions are approaching expansion, why shared‑services holding companies are becoming a strategic alternative to traditional bank mergers, and what really drives successful mutual‑to‑mutual partnerships. Matt also shares the importance of cultural alignment, diversification, and trust when combining institutions without a monetary exchange.
Looking ahead, Matt outlines the conversations he believes bank leaders must be having today—around growth strategy, relationship development, efficiency, community presence, and organizational structure—to stay competitive over the next 12–24 months.
Whether you’re a bank executive, board member, or part of a strategic planning team, this episode offers practical insights into the evolving growth models shaping community banking.
TKG Joins The Pack - Wolf x TKG
Hosts - Jeff Marsico, Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.
Scott Baranowski, Principal, Wolf & Company, P.C.
Bank Strategy: Community vs. National Banks
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Andrew Baker, Chief Strategy Officer, F&M Bank
Bank M&A Today and Outlook for 2026
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Dave Danielson, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Improving Shareholder Liquidity in Community Banks
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Matt Schultheis, Founder of BankVault Research
Scaling a Community Bank: Tech, Team, and Deposits
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Brant Ward, President, Signature Bank of Arkansas
Shareholder Succession
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Richard Trauger, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Pete Scully, President, My Private Shares
Andrew Rietz, Managing Director of Financial Institutions, My Private Shares
Banking on Insight: Inflation, Risk & the Road Ahead
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Tommy Esposito, Vice President, Strategic Resource Allocation, Kaufman Hall
Dorothy Jaworski, Retired SVP & Treasurer, Penn Community Bank
Bank Stocks & Beyond: Gerard Cassidy's Forecast
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Gerard Cassidy, Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Financials Research and Large Cap Bank Analyst, RBC Capital Markets
Navigating the AI Revolution: A Community Bank Perspective
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Andy Schornack, President, Security Bank & Trust Co.
Bank Transformation Unpacked: The Newtek Story Continues
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Barry Sloane, Chairman & CEO, Newtek Bank
Cannabis Banking in 2025
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Michael Beird, Author of Cannabis Banking
Crypto, Fintech, and other Non-Interest Income Drivers in 2025
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Matt West, Chief Executive Officer, Xenios
Big Picture: The Future of Community Financial Institutions
Hosts - Tara Wean, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Nathan Stovall, Director of the Financial Institutions Research Team, S&P Global Market Intelligence
Potential Changes in Bank Regulation under the Trump Administration
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Anne Balcer, Senior Executive Vice President, Chief of Government Relations and Public Policy for the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)
Stratum, New Technology That Will Revolutionize Banking!
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Clay Adams, President and CEO, Mascoma Bank
Use Cases of Generative AI – What are the Risks?
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guests - Chris Clements, VP of Solutions Architecture, CISO Global
Tigran Safari, Solutions Architect and Client Experience Manager, CISO Global
Banking for Good - CFG Bank Supports Key Bridge Recovery
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Jack Dwyer, Chairman, CEO and Founder of CFG Bank
Banking on Change – The Leader’s Guide to Achieving Exponential Growth in the Age of AI
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - James Robert Lay, Founder and CEO, Digital Growth Institute
Pig Butchering Scams – Help Protect Your Customers!
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Erin West, Deputy District Attorney, REACT Task Force, Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, San Jose, CA
Major Issues Impacting Bank Stocks and Valuations
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Robert Kafafian, Chairman & CEO, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Gerard S. Cassidy, Managing Director, Equity Research, RBC Capital Markets
Banks Can Thrive or Die, What History Teaches Us
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - John Maxfield, Banking Specialist, Author of the Maxfield on Banks Substack
How Promoting Financial Literacy Can Help Financial Institutions Perform Better
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Ben Crowley, Managing Director, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Arindam Nag, CEO & Co-Founder, Centsai
Christina Sandy, Head of Business Development, Centsai
Ingredients to a Successful Management Team
Hosts - Sharon Lorman, Vice President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Jeff Marsico, President, The Kafafian Group, Inc.
Guest - Bartow Morgan Jr., CEO & Director, Georgia Banking Company