Ninish Ukkan, Bryan Hicks Join Arvest Bank to Drive Technology Transformation

Arvest expands the executive bench to lead technology initiatives in reimagining community banking in a digital world.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arvest Bank (Arvest), a leading community bank serving retail and commercial customers, today announced that Ninish Ukkan has joined the company as chief technology officer to lead the development of its next-generation banking platform in the cloud. Ukkan previously served as chief technology officer at Green Dot Corporation, where he led the company's cloud migration and enterprise data platform for the company's industry-leading banking-as-a-service platform. 

Also joining the Arvest team is Bryan Hicks, who will serve as head of product over Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and third-party integration. Hicks joins Arvest from Derive Systems, having previously held technology product management at Ford, SAP and AT&T.

"Consumers and commercial customers are demanding seamless financial services when and where they need it. It's never been more important for institutions like Arvest to ensure the technology and infrastructure is in place to meet customers where they are," said Laura Merling, Arvest's Chief Transformation and Operations Officer. "We're thrilled to have Ninish and Bryan join the Arvest team as we look to reimagine the banking experience."

Ukkan has more than two decades of experience leading digital transformation in financial services as well as building banking-as-a-service platforms and embedded banking services that support multiple high-profile partners, including Apple, Uber, Intuit and Amazon. At Arvest, Ukkan will support the company's digital transformation strategy by leading the new core banking technology initiative and other financial products in the cloud.

"API and cloud-based banking is the future of financial services and as a bank with more than six decades of experience in a highly competitive and regulated market, Arvest is well-positioned to directly address the future of community banking in a digital world," Ukkan said. "Arvest's commitment to delivering best-in-class financial services for the future is evident in its continued investment in its customers, technology, and team, and I look forward to being a part of this transformation."

With an extensive background of driving directional change through technology at legacy corporations like Ford and AT&T, Hicks will accelerate Arvest's digital transformation strategy by building on Arvest's foundation of community and flexible financial products to deliver an intuitive, contextual digital banking experience.

"Off-the-shelf products no longer fit the bill when it comes to meeting customers' financial needs," Hicks added. "Our ability to meet customers where they are with hyper-local and personalized products that meet their immediate needs has never been more important, and is something Arvest has been focused on since its inception. I'm excited to join the team and develop new technology and processes to ultimately bring inclusive banking to all."

With more than $26 billion in assets, Arvest Bank is a community-based financial institution serving more than 110 communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Established in 1961, Arvest Bank is committed to meeting the needs of its more than 830,000 retail and business customer households by continually investing in the digital tools and services customers expect. Arvest was recently recognized by J.D. Power for its outstanding mobile banking experience. Its extensive network of more than 200 banking locations provides loans, deposits, treasury management, credit cards, mortgage loans and mortgage servicing as a part of its growing list of digital services. Arvest is known for its commitment to the communities it serves and to attracting, hiring and retaining a diverse group of talented people. Arvest is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. To learn more please visit www.arvest.com.

SOURCE Arvest Bank