For over 25 years, Rick has been the quiet force behind some of the most complex banking transformations around the world. He doesn’t chase buzzwords or sell silver bullets. He builds momentum, aligns teams and turns institutional friction into forward motion.

Rick founded Core System Partners to solve a growing problem: community and mid-sized banks being left behind by transformation programs designed for giants. Drawing from decades in the trenches across core conversions, vendor evaluations, digital bank launches and regulatory remediations he created a model that’s lean, practical and rooted in deliverables.

Clients turn to Rick at critical moments: during mergers and acquisitions, divestitures or when they’re forced to answer the hardest questions. Should we replace our core? How do we fix our digital bank? Can this vendor really deliver? He brings structure, realism and sharp strategic insight to every engagement. Often, he steps in as a fractional executive, advisory partner or program lead.

Before launching CSP, Rick held leadership roles in banking operations, technology strategy and consulting. He’s worked across fintech, healthcare, insurance and government, giving him a cross-industry lens with a banking-first focus.

Rick is also the author of The Strategic Flywheel and a frequent keynote speaker on transformation readiness, vendor leverage and execution discipline. When he’s not in the boardroom or the field, you’ll find him stargazing with his astrophotography club or perfecting a Bolognese that took 15 years to get just right.

“We don’t do ‘transformation theater.’ We help banks make the hard decisions,

align the right people and get things done.”