In this episode of Pioneers in Payments, Donna Blum sits down with Cesile Johnson, an accomplished technology leader with 30 years of experience driving innovation, operational efficiency, and bottom-line growth in the financial industry.
As Head of Technology at Core Bank, Cesile is leading the bank’s technology and strategy transformation roadmap — including data and AI enablement, payments modernization, API-driven integrations, and cybersecurity. She’s passionate about enabling B2B and B2C solutions, transforming legacy systems, and building high-performing product engineering teams that shape the future of banking.
Key topics discussed:
- The convergence of real-time payments and embedded finance.
- How embedded payments are reshaping business models and technology stacks.
- Why payments data is the new intelligence for decision-making, risk visibility, and revenue growth.
- The tension between speed and safety in financial innovation.
- Cesile’s “Silver Bullet” tip: Treat payments as a strategic enabler, not just an operational function.
About Core Bank:
Core Bank is a locally owned, full-service community bank offering business banking, mortgage and construction lending, wealth services, and personal banking. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Core Bank has locations in the Omaha and Kansas City metros. Learn more at https://corebank.com and connect with Cesile on LinkedIn.
About BHMI:
BHMI provides software solutions for managing the back-office processing of electronic payment transactions. Its flagship Concourse Financial Software Suite® supports debit, credit, mobile, P2P, real-time payments, ATMs, and POS, offering automated reconciliation, settlement, fee assessment, and dispute management. Learn more at https://bhmi.com.
