Testimonials

“Our bank recently concluded a complex and critical project: the evaluation, selection, and contract negotiation for a new core banking system. This was a significant undertaking for us, requiring a deep understanding of the market landscape, a rigorous evaluation process, and skillful negotiation to secure the best possible terms. Cornerstone Advisors proved to be an invaluable partner throughout this journey. We successfully selected a core banking system that meets our current and future needs, and we secured a contract that protects our interests. Their guidance and support were essential to the success of this project. We highly recommend Cornerstone Advisors to any financial institution seeking a trusted advisor for core system transformation.”

“Cornerstone has helped us with some significant new and renewed vendor relationships in card processing, core processing, and digital banking. Their knowledge of the marketplace and their expertise in contract negotiation were quite valuable in helping us make informed decisions. It was a pleasure to work with Cornerstone's consultants and we are very happy with their work!”

“IH Credit Union partnered with Cornerstone Advisors for assistance in negotiating our new contracts for both core system and digital.

We had a tremendous experience working with Cornerstone and Laurie Venzon in particular. The contract negotiation process was handled in a most efficient and professional manner and by using Cornerstone we saved several hundred thousand dollars off from the initial proposals.

Any credit union considering a conversion or contract negotiation would be wise to consider Cornerstone as a partner in the process.”

“We have worked with Cornerstone Advisors on a number of engagements, one of which was a recent core system contract negotiation. We were very pleased with the process overall, and we especially benefited from the knowledge and expertise of Cornerstone consultants. With their assistance, we were able to realize significant cost savings, identify several ancillary products that were no longer necessary for us, and leverage a number of new features that will be very beneficial. Even our core system vendor expressed appreciation for the way negotiations were managed by Cornerstone. I can highly recommend Cornerstone Advisors as a trusted partner in contract negotiations, strategy development, research, and more!”

“Cornerstone guided us through negotiation of our core contract renewal as well as selection of a new digital banking platform. We realized a significant cost savings over the next several years for our core contract and were able to secure more favorable terms and conditions that aligned with our strategic goals and objectives. Cornerstone's facilitation of our digital selection ensured that we were considering the most relevant and appropriate vendors for our bank and our planned future growth. They assisted us with weighing the options effectively and we are confident in our choice due to their assistance. The experience was fantastic and we would absolutely do it again.”

“I'm generally skeptical of hiring consultants, but decided to give Cornerstone a try to help negotiate a renewal to our core processing contract. Their familiarity with competitive industry pricing and contract language brought sunlight and leverage into what would have been a weak negotiating position. And it paid wonderful dividends!”

“Cornerstone has supported us on a variety of contract negotiation engagements, including with our core provider. The expertise of the Cornerstone team has helped us navigate through inherently confusing contract terms and key decision points and their knowledge of competitive pricing has resulted in savings over time exceeding a million dollars. I am confident we would not have achieved as positive an outcome without their support.

THANK YOU Cornerstone!”

“Community banks negotiate and renew our critical vendor contracts with multi-year commitments. Limited information on industry trends and conditions often leave us negotiating against ourselves. Cornerstone provides both industry knowledge and current market conditions which result in significant immediate and direct benefits to our institutions. Their ethical approach with full transparency results in the ultimate win/win for our institutions.”

“We couldn't have arrived here without Cornerstone Advisors. We're very happy with the work and we definitely got a much better result than we could have on our own. The knowledge and experience in the payments area was very valuable and made this project very smooth.”

“Cornerstone Advisors and their exceptional project management staff were critical to helping us complete a large assessment and roadmap for the future of our credit union. It is always a pleasure to work with knowledgable, friendly and efficient staff.”

“Cornerstone’s most recent engagement with PFCU left me with a continuing appreciation for their professionalism, their willingness to focus on what we deemed most important/critical for our organization, and the clear value of their expertise regarding the specifics of the industry.”

“Nicolet Bank has worked with the Payments Team at Cornerstone on different engagements the past few years, most recently on our Card Brand Agreement negotiations in 2022. We set out to ensure the next Brand Agreement aligned with Nicolet's overall strategic plan, and could not have had a better experience working with Brandi and Tony throughout the process. We highly encourage other Card Issuers to have a conversation with Cornerstone's Payments Team, you would be amazed at how true the statement "You Don't Know, What You Don't Know" can be in the fast-evolving Payments space.”

“At Skyward Credit Union, we recognized the need to refine our strategic direction to drive future growth and better serve our members. Partnering with Cornerstone Advisors for a Vision Strategy engagement was a transformative experience, providing us with the clarity and direction needed to navigate the evolving financial landscape.

Through their comprehensive approach, including market analysis, stakeholder engagement, and in-depth assessments, Cornerstone guided us in redefining our mission, vision, and value proposition. Their expertise helped us craft a strategy that not only honors our legacy but also positions us for sustainable growth.

Cornerstone’s insights challenged us to think beyond the status quo, ensuring our revised strategy aligns with member needs, industry trends, and long-term objectives. The result is a clear, actionable roadmap that differentiates us, expands our reach, and reinforces our commitment to our community.

For any financial institution seeking expert guidance in redefining its strategic foundation, we highly recommend Cornerstone Advisors. Their collaborative approach, deep industry expertise, and focus on delivering actionable outcomes make them an invaluable partner in building a strong, future-ready institution.”

“My organization originally partnered with Cornerstone Advisors to assist with Strategic Planning, but we have received so much more benefit through the engagement than simply a strategic plan. Our advisor truly met us where we were at in our Strategic Planning and Performance processes and helped devise a comprehensive plan to mature our organization, engage our leadership, and build stronger action plans. The value gained through just one engagement effort has led to our resigning with Cornerstone both in the Strategic Planning space and through the Performance Program. We were able to build a plan and construct processes that will lead us well into the future and help us measure our progress more consistently. We were genuinely surprised how much momentum and progress we gained through Cornerstone with such few barriers. We would highly recommend utilizing Cornerstone to anyone looking to secure more effectiveness from its strategic plan.”

“Working with Cornerstone Advisors throughout our Core Conversion was an absolute pleasure. Their team brought

unmatched expertise, professionalism, and dedication to the project, ensuring every phase was executed seamlessly.

From the initial planning stages to go-live and beyond, Cornerstone's guidance and collaborative approach made a

complex process feel manageable and well-supported. Their ability to anticipate challenges, offer practical solutions,

and align us with our goals was invaluable. We couldn't have asked for a better partner, and we're grateful for their

instrumental role in the success of our Core Conversion.”

“Cabrillo Credit Union had the pleasure of working with Cornerstone Advisors to guide us through the RFP and selection process for our new digital banking platform. From start to finish, their team was thorough, professional, and highly knowledgeable, ensuring every aspect of the process was handled with precision and expertise. Thanks to their support, we ultimately selected a vendor we are truly excited about, and their assistance in negotiating a fair and favorable deal was invaluable. We highly recommend Cornerstone Advisors to any organization seeking expert guidance in technology evaluation and vendor selection.”

“Ryan and the Cornerstone team have become invaluable partners to our organization. With their deep understanding of our credit union, they consistently deliver relevant insights and actionable recommendations and we are already seeing a meaningful ROI. They are always responsive and prompt with follow-ups but flexible in their approach based on our specific needs. With Cornerstone’s help, we developed what our Board called 'the most all-encompassing strategic plan they’d seen,' and they’ve been instrumental in helping us execute on resulting key strategic initiatives. Cornerstone truly feels like an extension of our team.”

“LLCU has engaged Cornerstone in various capacities over the past 16 months. Their ability to assist us in coordinating several core processors for RFPs to determine the best choice for our growing needs was very helpful. Following that engagement, once the right core was determined, we engaged Cornerstone to assist with the contract negotiations, allowing us to maintain our good relationship with the core provider, while using Cornerstone as the "bad guy" in those negotiations. We also engaged Cornerstone with the project management and implementation of that new core. They have been superb in assisting our staff, ensuring that no detail is left unattended. Finally, as we have doubled in size in the past five years, our Board was interested in examining better corporate governance practices. They engaged Cornerstone to assist. This engagement has taken our Board performance to the next level in understanding their roles and implementing best practices that will continue to evolve, as our organization continues to evolve. Great work CORNERSTONE!”

“When partnering with Cornerstone Advisors, we thought we knew what we wanted, but it turned out that we learned so much from the team. They spent a lot of time educating us and taking us through the needed steps to align our go-forward digital transformation strategy. We never felt like we were part of the usual “we have a process and template we will fit you into.” They got to know us and focused on developing a unique plan to the demands of our lines of business, customers and markets. Going forward, Cornerstone Advisors will be a strong partner to help us achieve our Digital Transformation target outcomes as we execute the recommendations.”

“We engaged with Cornerstone Advisors to carry out an assessment of our Contact Center. We had a vision for our contact center, however we needed a clear cut strategy to get us to the finish line. Cornerstone was super easy and delightful to work with. Their recommendations have transformed the way that we do business and we have been able to integrate several of their recommendations which has impacted our member experience positively. We are happy for the continued partnership with Cornerstone and eager to work on the continued improvements and features that support our strategic goals.”

“Vincent and the team at Cornerstone Advisors have helped us and our Board transition from primarily tactical discussions to a strategic, proactive organization, aligning our strategic plan to annual business plans and our project efforts. Along the way, our metrics have reflected this growth, moving from .35% ROA to 1.25% in 2021. The guidance has evolved as we have, and your patience in matching the guidance to our level of sophistication has paid off significantly. We could not be more appreciative, and look forward to continuing the journey.”

“Fidelity Bank views Cornerstone’s collaborative approach as a differentiator. In all of our engagements, it feels like we’re getting an extension of our team rather than working with third-party consultants. We recently partnered with Cornerstone to develop a Digital Strategic Marketing and Sales Roadmap, and we came away confident that Cornerstone’s recommendations will help us execute on our goals more effectively and boost our digital UX performance to the next level.”

“Cornerstone Advisors has been a valued advisor for First Bank through numerous strategic initiatives. Most recently Cornerstone partnered with us to help the bank streamline our commercial underwriting processes. With a carefully planned agenda, Cornerstone’s expert facilitator kept the two-day meeting on track and ultimately delivered an impactful meeting for bank stakeholders.”

“Enterprise Bank has partnered with Cornerstone Advisors on numerous engagements over the last few years. We are consistently impressed by the Cornerstone team’s vendor knowledge and their ability to understand our business needs. Most recently, they delivered measurable results that support our digital transformation journey. Many of us at Enterprise Bank have more than 25 years in the banking industry and have worked with many of the well-known consulting firms. The results we have gained from our Cornerstone partnership has exceeded the value provided by any of the other firms. We are confident that Cornerstone Advisors can deliver on its promise to take us from strategic planning to gritty execution to meet our customer and bank goals.”

“Cornerstone was hired to conduct the IT Assessment and Strategic Technology Plan of our Credit Union. John Venzon was assigned to this project and though initially it felt intimidating, he made the process very comfortable, always had good questions to ask, shared his experiences, even answered some personal leadership questions and did not mind tackling the tough discussions. The tedious process of who works in what capacity, what %, where are we lacking, how business unit owners and application owners need to work with IT Dept. was an eye opener for many...

He did praise the things we were doing well or had instituted, albeit never used, and requested them to reinstitute them, which we did right away. Processes on how IT Steering Committee would be responsible for any project moving forward was formalized, and two new roles (PM Coordinator and Business Analyst) were hired in IT Dept., that would be very helpful in the future.

I would strongly recommend - if any CU is looking to reevaluate their IT Dept. and their alignment with the CU's strategic plan, should call them right away.”

“We used Cornerstone for assistance in our core selection. We had been on the same core for almost 40 years so needed expert assistance guiding us through the process. Gary Glenn and the rest of the team at Cornerstone made it an easy process and we were delighted with how the easy it was to make our final decision. We would highly recommend Cornerstone when considering a search for a new core.”

“We engaged Cornerstone Advisors for assistance with our core conversion in 2022. Elizabeth, our Cornerstone Project Manager, was helpful in providing resources, timelines, acknowledging our milestones, and keeping us on track. She provided structure, feedback, and solutions to issues we encountered along the way. We launched on time, successfully, and with few issues after implementation. Our success is a result of the partnership with Elizabeth and Cornerstone Advisors.”

“Cornerstone assisted us in performing core and digital banking selections simultaneously. Their entire team was highly knowledgeable and professional and helped throughout each step of the process. Cindi Perno was absolutely fantastic and did a tremendous job tracking our outstanding items up until the contract signing. Her due diligence and industry knowledge helped prevent us from an inevitable misstep in selection and ultimately put us on the path to success. You won't find a more thorough partner elsewhere!”

“Cornerstone Advisors (CA) assisted us with our Core System and Digital System selection, contract negotiation, and conversion. We worked closely with Krystle Frye. Depending on the stage of the projects, CA brought different resources and expertise to assist. The partnership with CA allowed us to have better outcomes in every stage than we would have had otherwise. They brought a wealth of knowledge and experience that reduced potential errors on our part. CA understood key personnel, organizational dynamics, and context that would have been absent without their partnership. We felt the relationship with CA created monetary value and a better project outcome.”

“Pittsford FCU has engaged Cornerstone for several different projects, and they remain our first thought when a needarises. Most recently, Cornerstone assisted PFCU with our Core Data Processing Vendor search, analysis and contractnegotiations. Without question, PFCU's understanding, decision-making and finalized agreement terms were improvedthrough the insight and experience Cornerstone provides with each and every one of their engagements. We value ourpartnership with Cornerstone Advisors and truly look forward to our next opportunity to benefit from their excellence.”

“On February 25, 2020, Sam Kilmer delivered a "Guide to the Market" presentation to our national sales team during our annual kickoff. DefenseStorm is solely focused on serving the banking vertical and so we contracted with Sam to provide banking industry insights to our sellers. Sam did a fantastic job explaining industry dynamics and Cornerstone's perspective on trends and strategies while also very effectively tying them to the work we do at DefenseStorm. In terms of both style and substance, Sam received rave reviews from our team.”

“Cornerstone has helped us with some significant new and renewed vendor relationships in card processing, core processing, and digital banking. Their knowledge of the marketplace and their expertise in contract negotiation were quite valuable in helping us make informed decisions. It was a pleasure to work with Cornerstone's consultants and we are very happy with their work!”

“We recently contracted with Cornerstone and Ron Shevlin to host a series of video interviews/podcasts titled "Smart Banks Can Win in Small Business". Ron not-only led the 20 min interviews/discussions, he was integral in working on the topics and helping solicit guest speakers. With the launch of the videos as an anchor resource on a new microsite, Ron supported the promotion of the site and video series on social media. We also leveraged Ron as a panelist for a webinar with The Financial Brand on the same topic. Ron was an excellent partner on this project. We will definitely look to do more with Ron and Cornerstone in the future.”

“Cornerstone Advisors' Sam Kilmer and Joel Pruis delivered an excellent presentation on The New Banking Nerve Center to over 450 bankers at Abrigo's ThinkBIG virtual conference in September 2020. The session was one of our top-rated general sessions by attendees. Several wrote in the comments that the session was their favorite for the day with good insights into using data to drive the financial institution. Sam and Joel were easy to work with and open to ideas and feedback.”