# First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO): AI strategy and technology vision

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fnbo/ai-strategy
Last updated: Oct 16, 2026

*Part of the [First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fnbo).*

## What is FNBO's AI strategy, and who drives it?

FNBO, the family-owned Omaha bank, has no chief AI officer and publishes no AI strategy document; its approach shows in where it has deployed AI and what its leaders say. Chairman Clark Lauritzen wrote in March 2026 that 'we could not have had the vision to imagine just five years ago some of the things that we do routinely today, such as artificial intelligence.' The deployments are vendor-led and start where work is repetitive: Nasdaq Verafin agents that cut financial-crime investigator time per case by 50% (June 2026) and Pindrop's Fraud Assist for card-fraud cases (March 2026), with chief risk officer Nick Baxter's rule to 'start simple, build up confidence'. Commercial payments head Tammy Trilli says FNBO avoids 'innovations solely for their novelty', and banking head David Cota said in December 2025 the bank is doing 'a lot of work' exploring AI that must make employees, customer interactions and communities better. Erin Saxby, vice president of technology data services, leads the generative-AI strategy. The bank's wealth team tells clients AI can be a '24/7 financial assistant' but cannot replace a human advisor. FNBO discloses no AI budget, model supplier or headcount effect, and it has bought three banks since May 2025, which brings integration work. ([First National of Nebraska / FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/content/dam/fnni/documents/2025-financial-summary.pdf), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime), [Pindrop (GlobeNewswire)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/03/17/3257231/0/en/pindrop-unveils-first-agentic-fraud-investigation-solution-to-combat-surging-ai-driven-fraud.html), [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/commercial-business/2025/how-fnbo-is-driving-innovation-through-strategic-partnerships), [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/podcast/the-vault/168-years-strong), [University of Nebraska Omaha](https://www.unomaha.edu/omaxai/speakers/past-speakers/erin-saxby.php), [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/wealth/2025/top-trends-shaping-wealth-planning-in-2026), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/no-pause-button-omaha-bank-inks-second-m-a-deal-since-june))

## What have FNBO's executives said about AI, and when?

| Who | What they said | Where | Date | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Andy Max, senior director of data enablement | Q2's treasury pricing tool 'has helped elevate the way FNBO thinks', giving one view of client relationships | Q2 release | September 10, 2024 | [Q2 Holdings (Business Wire)](https://businesswire.com/news/home/20240910636029/en/Q2-Enables-First-National-Bank-of-Omaha-to-Drive-Stronger-Team-Collaboration-and-Client-Engagement) |
| Cory Mann, VP product | Spoke on what payments and banking need from generative-AI companies | PYMNTS event | January 22, 2025 | [PYMNTS.com](https://pymnts.com/events/whats-next-in-payments-memo-to-the-genai-companies-fnbo) |
| Tammy Trilli, SVP commercial payments | Warns against 'innovations solely for their novelty'; partnerships need shared KPIs | FNBO insights | April 3, 2025 | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/commercial-business/2025/how-fnbo-is-driving-innovation-through-strategic-partnerships) |
| Erin Saxby, VP technology data services | Leads technology data teams and 'spearheads the bank's Generative AI strategy'; OMA x AI presenter | University of Nebraska Omaha | October 2025 | [University of Nebraska Omaha](https://www.unomaha.edu/omaxai/speakers/past-speakers/erin-saxby.php), [University of Nebraska Omaha](https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2025/09/new-oma-x-ai-conference-keynote-speakers-breakout-presenters-announced.php) |
| David Cota, EVP banking | 'A lot of work' exploring AI; solutions must improve employees, customer interactions and community value | The Vault podcast | December 18, 2025 | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/podcast/the-vault/168-years-strong) |
| Jeff Weeks, CISO | 'AI is an amplifier, for good or bad'; AI is 'a huge player in making the attacks more successful' | FNBO insights and podcast | February 2026 | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/fraud-and-security-tips/2026/ai-in-cybersecurity), [FNBO](https://fnbo.com/insights/podcast/the-vault/cyber-resilience-in-2026-what-it-really-takes) |
| Clark Lauritzen, chairman and president | AI is among things the bank now does 'routinely' | 2025 financial summary letter | March 18, 2026 | [First National of Nebraska / FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/content/dam/fnni/documents/2025-financial-summary.pdf) |
| Nick Baxter, CRO | 'You start simple, you build up confidence, you validate your ability to monitor and manage these agents' | American Banker | June 24, 2026 | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime) |

## What pattern does FNBO's AI adoption follow?

| Pattern | Evidence | Date | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Extend existing vendors | The Verafin agents run inside an AML system FNBO already used; Dawson calls it incremental progress on 'existing embedded processes' | June 2026 | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime) |
| Join vendor betas early | Among the first Fraud Assist customers | March 2026 | [Pindrop (GlobeNewswire)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/03/17/3257231/0/en/pindrop-unveils-first-agentic-fraud-investigation-solution-to-combat-surging-ai-driven-fraud.html) |
| Human decides | Investigators make SAR decisions; the wealth team says AI 'cannot replace the judgment, experience, and personalized guidance of a human advisor' | 2025-2026 | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime), [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/wealth/2025/top-trends-shaping-wealth-planning-in-2026) |
| Data before AI | Partner reporting moved to Amazon QuickSight on a Snowflake warehouse, with Amazon Q named as a later option | December 2024 | [AWS Business Intelligence Blog (guest post by FNBO)](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/business-intelligence/how-fnbo-revolutionized-partner-reporting-with-amazon-quicksight) |
| Customer research | Its 2025 study found 46% of Americans had used AI for personal finances | September 2025 | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/newsroom/2025/fnbo-releases-2025-financial-wellbeing-study) |

## What does FNBO not disclose about its AI strategy?

As a private bank, FNBO files no 10-K and holds no earnings calls, so there is no AI risk factor, budget or adoption count. The chairman's annual letter and press interviews are the record. ([First National of Nebraska / FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/content/dam/fnni/documents/2025-financial-summary.pdf))

Three acquisitions since May 2025 (Country Club Bank, Blue Ridge, InBankshares) add customers and alerts onto FNBO's systems, with Blue Ridge conversion planned for early 2027 and InBankshares in the second half of 2027; FNBO has not said how AI figures in those integrations. ([American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/deal-would-give-nebraskas-fnbo-a-leg-up-in-kansas-city), [FNBO (Business Wire)](https://businesswire.com/news/home/20261001777849/en/FNBO-Closes-Acquisition-of-Blue-Ridge-Bank-and-Trust-Co.-in-Kansas-City), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/no-pause-button-omaha-bank-inks-second-m-a-deal-since-june))

## What does the FNBO profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jun 24, 2026 | Agents run under human-equivalent access controls | FNBO has 15 financial-crime investigators and analysts; an enhanced-due-diligence case of about 30 minutes now takes about 15; Baxter says the bank started with jobs that were easy to explain. | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime) |
| Jun 24, 2026 | AI agents cut financial-crime investigation time by 50% | Nasdaq Verafin agents for EDD and sanctions triage, on AWS Bedrock. | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/how-fnbo-uses-agentic-ai-to-investigate-financial-crime) |
| Mar 18, 2026 | Chairman's 2025 letter: AI now routine | Record $533 million net income; AI cited as something the bank does routinely. | [First National of Nebraska / FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/content/dam/fnni/documents/2025-financial-summary.pdf) |
| Mar 17, 2026 | Pindrop Fraud Assist agent cuts fraud-case time 35–40% | FNBO among the first customers; analyst accuracy +50%, case productivity +42% without new headcount. | [Pindrop (GlobeNewswire)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/03/17/3257231/0/en/pindrop-unveils-first-agentic-fraud-investigation-solution-to-combat-surging-ai-driven-fraud.html) |
| Dec 18, 2025 | Banking head: 'a lot of work' exploring AI | David Cota says solutions must make employees, customer interactions and community value better. | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/podcast/the-vault/168-years-strong) |
| Sep 23, 2025 | Survey: 46% of Americans use AI for personal finances | A further 50% trust AI for financial advice; 60% confident in their long-term plan. | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/newsroom/2025/fnbo-releases-2025-financial-wellbeing-study) |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Commercial payments head on partnerships over novelty | Trilli on the allure of APIs and AI and on aligning key performance indicators with partners. | [FNBO](https://www.fnbo.com/insights/commercial-business/2025/how-fnbo-is-driving-innovation-through-strategic-partnerships) |
| Jan 22, 2025 | VP Product joins PYMNTS session on generative AI | Cory Mann spoke on what payments and banking need from generative-AI companies. | [PYMNTS.com](https://pymnts.com/events/whats-next-in-payments-memo-to-the-genai-companies-fnbo) |
| Dec 8, 2021 | Upstart AI lending expanded nationwide | Pilot results met or exceeded expectations with a Net Promoter Score of 83; 78% of loans approved instantly; FNBO planned to use the platform for affinity partners. | [FNBO and Upstart (Business Wire)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211208005384/en/First-National-Bank-of-Omaha-Expands-Personal-Loans-Powered-by-Upstart) |
| Oct 21, 2019 | Upstart AI lending pilot nears completion; OCC briefed | Pilot begun in July lent tens of millions of dollars; FICO and debt-to-income kept in the model; OCC and examiners briefed. | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/the-banks-warming-to-ai-based-lending) |

## Common questions

### Does FNBO have a chief AI officer?

No chief AI officer is named. Erin Saxby, vice president of technology data services, leads the technology data teams and the generative-AI strategy; Matthew Spyers is chief information officer; and chief risk officer Nick Baxter and BSA/AML officer David Dawson speak for the financial-crime agents.

### What has FNBO's chairman said about AI?

In the 2025 financial summary letter published in March 2026, chairman and president Clark Lauritzen wrote that the bank could not have imagined five years earlier some of the things it does routinely today, such as artificial intelligence. The letter reported record net income of $533 million.

### Why does FNBO buy AI from vendors rather than build it?

Its leaders describe a partnership approach: commercial payments head Tammy Trilli says FNBO picks partners against customer problems and shared KPIs rather than novelty, and the financial-crime agents extend Nasdaq Verafin software FNBO already ran. FNBO has not published an in-house model or research program.

### What does FNBO tell clients about AI?

Its wealth team says AI is becoming a personal financial assistant that budgets, spots fraud and suggests investment moves, but cannot replace a human advisor's judgment. Its CISO warns that criminals use AI for convincing phishing, deepfakes and voice cloning, and recommends family passwords and verification habits.
## Deeper on FNBO

- [How does FNBO use AI for fraud detection and credit decisions?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fnbo/fraud-and-credit-ai)
- [What technology platforms and partners does FNBO run on?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fnbo/technology-stack)


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