Citizens Community Bancorp MD Partners with MANTL for Enhanced Digital Banking Transformation

Citizens State Bank Enhances Digital Banking with MANTL Partnership

Citizens State Bank, headquartered in New Castle, Indiana, embarks on a significant digital transformation by partnering with MANTL, a leading innovator in loan and deposit account opening technology. This collaboration aims to modernize the retail and business deposit account opening processes, aligning with the bank's strategy to streamline operations and enhance customer experience. Jordan Wills, the bank's director of digital strategy and marketing, highlights the critical need for an innovative partner to simplify and secure the account opening experience for both retail and business clients. The partnership marks a crucial step toward creating a unified platform that supports diverse deposit accounts across all customer segments.

The project will commence with the deployment of MANTL's retail online account opening solution, followed by the integration of in-branch and business account openings. MANTL's Onboarding & Account Opening Solution is poised to automate over 85% of application decisions, significantly reducing manual workloads and speeding up critical processes such as Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks. This automation is anticipated to not only enhance operational efficiency but also facilitate the bank's growth trajectory by allowing staff to focus on more strategic tasks while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

MANTL’s chief product officer, Benjamin Conant, underscores the significance of consolidating all deposit account openings into a single platform, which positions Citizens State Bank for sustainable growth. This collaboration builds upon the bank's existing integration of Alkami’s digital banking services, further enhancing its capabilities within the Alkami Digital Banking Platform. As financial institutions increasingly recognize the importance of streamlined and customer-centric digital solutions, Citizens State Bank’s commitment to modernizing its services reflects a broader trend in the banking industry to prioritize efficiency and user experience.

In related news, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. announces the upcoming retirement of Lorie K. Rupp, the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, effective June 1, 2026. Rupp’s tenure has been marked by significant advancements in the company's risk management framework. Her successor, Tom Eklund, who currently serves as the Treasurer, is set to continue this legacy, bringing two decades of experience to the role.

First Citizens BancShares, a prominent U.S. financial institution with over $200 billion in assets, emphasizes its commitment to robust risk governance and strategic growth, showcasing the evolving landscape of the financial services sector.