Piermont Bank Chief Executive Wendy Cai-Lee approaches emerging technology from a holistic viewpoint — assessing client needs and measurable impact across the bank. 

The $500 million digital bank does not simply share what offerings it has with clients, but instead produces offerings based on what clients want, Cai-Lee told FinAI News.

Small business clients, for example, want speed and control, she said. So, the bank innovates based on those desires. The bank’s proprietary API platform lets SMBs embed banking into their workflows, meeting the demands of real-time insights, automated payments and seamless integration. 

The same goes for deploying technology, such as AI, internally, Cai-Lee said. When approaching AI, what efficiencies can the tech produce? 

FinAi News sat down with Cai-Lee to discuss her approach to leadership, AI and overall strategy at Piermont. What follows is an edited version of the conversation. 

FinAI News: What is Piermont Bank’s approach to emerging technology? 

Wendy Cai-Lee: We look at tech as a critical component to make us, as a bank, and our clients faster, smarter and more resilient.  

The way we approach tech is that we never look at it as an add-on. The tech is who we are. We adopt technology not just because it’s “shiny,” but because it creates measurable impact for us and for the clients. 

API banking, embedded finance, fintech partnerships, they were never buzz words for us. It has to have a practical and measurable pathway for our customers. 

FinAI News: How does AI fit into Piermont’s strategy?  

WC: We look at AI as an amplifier. How can we use the technology to enhance speed, accuracy and scale? 

Internally, the technology can be deployed to replace mundane and repetitive work. We let machines and AI do the mundane work and then elevate the human part. Allow AI to do what machines do best — risk assessment, automate routine tasks, process data, and let bankers help solve business problems and serve as true advisers.  

When encouraging the team to use AI, we also ensure they understand how AI can help them. It’s a value-add to their career and to their learning versus turning it into an adversarial relationship. 

FinAI News: How does Piermont adjust projects or strategy to market conditions? 

WC: We do three-year rolling strategic planning. But operationally we chop it down to 90 days. It allows people to stay focused and it makes the plans more digestible. Every 90 days, senior management, down to department managers, revisit and reprioritize for the next 90 days based on changes that need to be made. That allows for a reassessment; it allows for conversation and allows for transparency. 

FinAI News: What does leadership at Piermont look like? 

WC: What I have learned throughout my career is to communicate goals, communicate initiatives and revisit those plans because business changes fast. Being consistently clear, being repetitively clear in articulating the vision and goals is particularly important here. 

This allows us to think beyond the short-term challenges and stay focused on building toward the vision. When you are building a new kind of bank to serve high growth companies, we need to challenge conventions and create space where others might not have imagined opportunities. 

Wendy Cai-Lee will speak at the inaugural FinAi Banking Summit 2026, taking place March 2-3 in Denver. Register here for early-bird pricing. View the full event agenda here.