VerityThree’s Support Team: (L-R) Pete Smothers, Matthew A. Gardner, Kirby Rosemeyer, Kelley Forsythe, Sheryl Smith, Aaron Scicluna, and Jonathan Smith

In April, VerityThree moved its team building efforts into the kitchen of the reputable, Chef John Bogan.  VTI’s team traveled to beautiful Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to attend the Lake Geneva School of Cooking’s Iron Chef cooking class.  While it was clear the majority fell outside of their comfort areas, group collaboration quickly kicked in and each team was able to successfully complete the cooking challenge.

“Even though we were split into groups, we had to work together to make each course flow.  It wasn’t just one group out for themselves trying to win; we ended up all working together to make sure the whole experience was successful,” Kirby Rosemeyer, Sales Representative.

The Support team separated into three groups; Sheryl Smith (Office Manager/Purchasing) and Jonathan Smith (President) started off with the appetizer, Pete Smothers (Director of Sales Engineering) and Kirby Rosemeyer created the soup, and Matthew Gardner (Business Relationship Manager), Aaron Scicluna (Executive Vice President), and Kelley Forsythe (Controller) prepared the main course.

The 4-course event included parmigiano poppers, sweet lobster crab cakes with frizzled leeks, broccoli and brie bisque, Kona crusted chateaubriand, and flourless chocolate pate.

“Cooking together really teaches you about how your team must prioritize and execute the details of a plan.  It was helpful to participate, learn, and grow together as a team,” Rosemeyer said.

To see the more pictures from the Iron Chef Cooking Class, visit our Facebook page.

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VerityThree, Inc. (VTI) is a leading provider of technology solutions for community banks and innovative businesses. VTI builds IT strategies for customers by understanding the long-term vision and goals of an organization and delivering customized consulting and technology management services. With more than 12 years of business experience, VerityThree’s high performing culture of excellence uses strategic partnerships, continuing education and industry-leading best practices to convey their commitment to long-term customer relationships and mutual success. VerityThree has committed annually to the examination and reporting of controls in a service organization under the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16.

Learn more about VerityThree at http://www.veritythree.com

AFT brings together leading financial technology companies to pool individual intelligence and build collective intelligence. 

McHenry, IL – The Association for Financial Technology (AFT) is a well-respected, national peer group positioned to discover tangible ways to improve business development and strengthen relationships to make the banking industry more collaborative, innovative and productive.

AFT began in 1982 with a group of forward-thinking, entrepreneurial data center operators.  Today, AFT has grown to roughly 100 member companies that provide services to over 80% of the nation’s banks, thrifts and credit unions. 

“AFT is a powerful hybrid of all the major core providers and a broad mix of companies providing a wide range of ancillary products and services,” Jim Bannister, Executive Director of AFT said.  “Most of our member companies work with one another through strategic alliances and other partnering ventures,” Bannister added.

AFT is selective in adding member companies so that it can maintain a very high level of connectivity.  VerityThree was accepted into this association based on its position as a top IT solutions provider for community banks and credit unions. 

“When surrounded by success, failure is not a consideration,” stated Jonathan Smith, President of VerityThree. “AFT is rich with strategic visionary relationships who have positively influenced the community banking space.  We are privileged to have been asked to be an active participant in these efforts.”

VerityThree recently traveled to Boca Raton, FL for the AFT Spring Conference.  VerityThree President, Jonathan Smith and Executive Vice President, Aaron Scicluna were introduced to AFT members and other innovative companies.  Included in the conference were breakout sessions and keynote speakers, such as Ron Shevlin, Senior Analyst of Aite Group, Jim “The Rookie” Morris, and New York Times bestselling author, Michael Hyatt.

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VerityThree, Inc. (VTI) is a leading provider of technology solutions for community banks and innovative businesses. VTI builds IT strategies for customers by understanding the long-term vision and goals of an organization and delivering customized consulting and technology management services. With more than 12 years of business experience, VerityThree’s high performing culture of excellence uses strategic partnerships, continuing education and industry-leading best practices to convey their commitment to long-term customer relationships and mutual success. VerityThree has committed annually to the examination and reporting of controls in a service organization under the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16.

Learn more about VerityThree at http://www.veritythree.com

The Association for Financial Technology has supported the financial technology industry for more than 35 years. The organization’s focus is on helping technology companies to succeed in the demanding, rapidly changing financial services market.

Learn more about AFT at http://www.aftweb.com

The recent influx of social media use in the financial industry has created the need to develop social media policies.

In January, 2013, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) released a proposal of guidelines for using social media in financial institutions (https://www.ffiec.gov/press/pr012213.htm).

“A financial institution should have a risk management program that allows it to identify, measure, monitor, and control the risks related to social media,” the FFIEC document reads.

“Financial institutions may use social media in a variety of ways, including marketing, providing incentives, facilitating applications for new accounts, inviting feedback from the public, and engaging with existing and potential customers,” the FFIEC continues.  “Since this form of customer interaction tends to be informal and occurs in a less secure environment, it presents some unique challenges to financial institutions.”

It is important for financial institutions to remember there are several risk areas when integrating social media, their employees and their customers.

“There is some differences in the way [we] use Facebook as opposed to Twitter,” Matt Putvinski, Director of Wolf & Company’s IT Assurance Services group.  He believes the FFIEC is taking a “good first step” and believes at the end of the day, education and social media best practices with employees will help protect the financial institutions.

“Social media is an asset to any company if used correctly; it can be helpful as much as it can be hurtful,” Sheryl Smith, Office Manager/Purchasing Manager at VerityThree said.  “Having guidelines established will help your company to not open any doors for disaster, or at least have a plan if disaster strikes.”  Smith is in charge of VerityThree’s social media strategy,

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VerityThree, Inc. (VTI) is a leading provider of technology solutions for community banks innovative businesses. VTI builds IT strategies for customers by understanding the long-term vision and goals of an organization and delivering customized consulting and technology management services. With more than 12 years of business experience, VerityThree’s high performing culture of excellence uses strategic partnerships, continuing education and industry-leading best practices to convey their commitment to long-term customer relationships and mutual success. VerityThree has committed annually to the examination and reporting of controls in a service organization under the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16.

Learn more about VerityThree at http://www.veritythree.com

The FFIEC is a formal interagency body empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Federal Insurance Corporation(FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPD) and to make recommendations to promote uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions.  (http://www.ffiec.gov/)

Virtual Spotlight!

Wayne Speaks, System Engineer, Employee for 1 Year!

Virtual Spotlight!

Peter Smothers, Director of Sales Engineering, Employee for 13 Years!