Chris Williston, Pres./CEO of the Independent Bankers Assn. of Texas, joins Catherine A. Ghiglieri, President of Ghiglieri & Company of Austin, as the first two advissors to Abound Resources, Inc. of Austin, Texas. Abound Resources helps community banks organize and coordinate technology resources to achieve strategic goals, increase utilization of existing technology, manage the growing complexity of regulatory requirements and control the rising costs of technology. Both professionals are well connected in the banking industry.
Chris Williston, CAE, President/CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT), has been named an advisor of Abound Resources, Inc. of Austin, Texas. Abound Resources helps community banks get all of their technology resources working together to achieve the bank’s strategic goals, increase utilization of existing technology, manage the growing complexity of regulatory requirements and control the rising costs of technology.
“Our firm and its investors are delighted that Mr. Williston, (Photos: http://67.78.71.196/williston/) a 30-year bank association executive in Texas, has joined the advisory group,” said Brad Smith, Co-founder and President of Abound Resources. (Photo: www.aboundresources.com/smithpicture.jpg ). “His counsel and his high level of respect in banking circles will help guide our accelerating growth.”
Williston is a former member of the PULSE EFT Association Board of Directors and TIB (The Independent BankersBank) and is an advisory board member of the American Association of Bank Directors. He began his career in 1975 with the Texas Bankers Association, rising to senior vice president and chief operating officer by 1987.
Following two years with Alex Sheshunoff & Co. as Vice President-Affiliation, he moved to IBAT. In 2003, Williston was recognized as Texas’ top association executive by the Texas Society of Association Executives. He is a regular contributor to banking periodicals and also serves on numerous state and national boards and councils supporting financial institutions.
Williston joins Catherine A. Ghiglieri, President of Ghiglieri & Company of Austin as an advisor to Abound Resources. Ghiglieri, a former Texas Banking Commissioner, provides strategic planning and crisis management for executives and boards of directors, representing them before regulatory agencies and providing expert witness testimony. (Photo: http://www.ghiglieri.com/
“Her regulatory expertise, significant influence, vast industry contacts and strategic input expand Abound Resources’ body of knowledge and our penetration of community banking," Smith stated.
“Abound began early this year bringing to market breakthrough products for community financial institutions,” Williston noted. “Bankers now have access to an objective, affordably priced support partner for all their technology needs, including the management of regulatory requirements. I’m impressed with Abound’s ability to save banks far more than the cost of its yearly license. I look at this as an opportunity for me to learn about the special technology challenges confronting community banks.”
“Technology costs have grown to be the second-largest non-interest expense for community banks,” he observed. “Technology optimization can be greatly improved in many CFIs, and the
IT regulatory burden is requiring more and more resources. Several of our IBAT members were among the 25 community banks that helped Abound Resources develop its pioneering business model for providing strategic technology support, and many of them are now customers.”
Smaller community banks often lack the resources of larger institutions which employ armies of full-time technology experts. Abound’s patent-pending product, ClickSupport™ (http://www.aboundresources.com/products-services_ClickSupport.htm) can help increase optimization of existing technology by up to 50%; save up to 30% in hardware, software, outsourcing and data communications costs, and help manage the regulatory burden.
“That is why I am excited about Abound’s products and services,” Williston added. “It saves a bank both IT staff time and money, which are critical cost control elements in today’s highly competitive environment.”
“Our IT Optimization Wizard™, included in ClickSupport, measures a bank’s unique technology optimization,” Smith explained. “The tool makes specific recommendations to improve optimization, save money and better align IT with the institution’s business strategy and then creates a self-managed action plan. Our recent study of IBAT members revealed that 91% wanted greater optimization of their technology resources.”
In addition to the tools, the Abound Resources application provides reviews on which technologies work, counsel on software decisions and strategies to lessen the regulatory burden. It has a library of policies and procedures that can be customized and implemented to meet both management and bank examiners’ expectations.
The company already has nearly 100 white papers on the hottest technology topics in the community financial services industry. How-to topics range from increasing penetration of Internet banking and bill payment to simplifying network management; from implementing proven technology purchasing practices to building a risk management culture. The company also provides telephone and email support on customers’ technology questions, and is available to provide support on a bank’s technology projects -- from the smallest to the largest.
For More Information or interviews:
Brad Smith, President, Abound Resources, Inc., Austin TX, 512-231-1750
or
Jacque Chrisman, The Chrisman Group, Austin TX, 512-345-8969.
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