From Human Change to Digital Transformation Success

Scott Blake, SVP & CIO, Bangor Savings Bank

Scott Blake, SVP & CIO, Bangor Savings Bank

Through this article, Scott Blake reflects on his unconventional path to banking, the lessons learned from technology and finance, and his perspective on leading change. He highlights why trust and security must underpin innovation, how embedded finance will redefine community banking, and the leadership mindset needed for sustainable digital transformation.

A Circuitous Path to Banking: From Academia to Technology to Finance

It’s been anything but a straight line. I trained as a sociologist, intending to pursue an academic career. When it came time to start my dissertation, I realized I didn’t have a passion for the research side of academia. I loved teaching, but not the research.

I graduated in the mid-90s in Boston, where jobs in technology seemed to be on every corner. My first role was first-line tech support for firewalls. It turned out to be an incredible training ground, not just in technology but in leadership. I quickly became a capable network engineer, became a supervisor, and later worked as a field consultant.

In 2007, I was with another start-up but decided I needed a change to be present for my then-infant children. That brought me to Bangor, Maine, where I took over my mother’s book of business as a financial advisor. Working entirely on commission taught me a genuine appreciation for sales and the humbling lesson that I wasn’t an excellent salesperson. From there, moving into a role at Bangor Savings Bank was a natural transition.

Leading Change Across Sectors: People Before Technology

I’d actually turn the question around. Change, at its core, is always led by people. In my experience across community banking, Fortune 50 enterprises, and high-growth tech, I’ve learned that technology change only succeeds when it begins with behavioral change. People must understand the “why” before embracing the “how.” Lead with the technology, and you almost guarantee the change will fail.

Balancing Innovation and Security: Trust Comes First

Information security is a prerequisite for any innovation we pursue, for precisely the reason you mention. Banks have nothing without customer trust, so that has to come first. I’m fortunate to work with a CEO and team who believe that trust-based innovation is the only way to build new businesses successfully.

The Next Wave of Banking: Embedded Finance Takes the Lead

Of the emerging technologies, embedded finance will be the most transformative. It forces banks to realize that we must serve customers through intermediaries, not just directly. In many ways, this isn’t new—drive-up windows, phone banking, web, and mobile were all steps toward customers interacting less with us directly. Embedded finance takes it further, enabling us to serve customers without them even realizing the bank is behind the experience.

Conversely, AI will fade into the background as a tool woven into everything we do, rather than being an end in itself. Payments will continue to evolve, but that’s an extension of what banks have always done: moving money faster, easier, and better. It’s an improvement, not a transformation.

Advice for Future Leaders: Security Starts at the Top

Pick your CEO carefully. Security is fundamentally a tone-at-the-top issue. If leadership doesn’t value security, they’ll underinvest and drag their feet. Convincing people to innovate is often easier these days—Boards don’t want to miss the “AI revolution” and CEOs are eager for new opportunities. But making security nonnegotiable requires unwavering support from the very top.

AI

Financial

Information Security

Digital Transformation