Rich Perez has spent 20+ years at the intersection of technology, strategy, and real-world execution — and he speaks from the front lines, not from theory.
Rich Perez has spent 20+ years at the intersection of technology, strategy, and real-world execution — building digital products for Fortune 500 retailers, advising state banking associations, co-teaching the next generation of fintech leaders, and speaking frequently at state and national banking associations across the country.
Today he leads digital strategy and innovation for one of the country's most active banking communities as VP of Innovation & Digital Strategy at the Texas Bankers Association. He hosts the nationally distributed Innovation Magnet fintech podcast, and speaks to audiences ranging from bank boards to university classrooms to national conferences.
He does not speak about theory. He speaks from the front lines — and the difference is obvious the moment he takes the stage.
Before banking, Rich spent 16 years at Harland Clarke / Vericast building digital products at scale for some of the largest retailers in the world — including Walmart, Sam's Club, and Costco. That product-and-engineering grounding is what separates his talks from the usual conference fare: he has actually shipped the things most speakers only describe.
That experience now informs how he advises community banks and fintech companies navigating AI, digital assets, and the fast-moving regulatory landscape reshaping financial services.
Rich is a Co-Instructor of Foundations in Fintech at Texas State University and a featured speaker on banking and fintech at SFA University — helping students and faculty connect classroom theory to what is actually happening in the industry.
Rich's talks span the full landscape of digital transformation in financial services — practitioner-driven, customized, and built for audiences who need actionable intelligence rather than recycled research.