The Most Innovative People in Finance

Call for Nominations

Nominations are now open and may be submitted by colleagues, partners, or the candidates themselves. Honorees will be announced in conjunction with American Banker’s Digital Banking conference, taking place June 16-17, 2026, in Orlando, FL.

Submit your nomination using the form below. Any information submitted should be considered “on the record”, unless specifically cited in the nomination form as “confidential and for internal editorial review only – not for publication.

Questions? Please review our FAQs.

Nomination Form

Prepare your responses by downloading the form preview.

Extended application deadline: Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST

Step 1 of 3 – Background

33%

Background

Nominee

Name(Required)

First Last

Job Title(Required)

Company(Required)

Email(Required)

Direct Phone(Required)

About the Nominee(Required)

Briefly describe the nominee’s role and contribution in driving technological innovation in their organization over the past year and three-year time horizon.

Assistant/Contact Information (optional)

Name

First Last

Phone

Nominator Information (if different from above)

Name

First Last

Job Title

Company

Phone

Qualifications

How long have you been employed at your current company?

Must be at the company for at least 1 year.

What year was your company founded?

Must be in business for at least 3 years.

Which of the following best describes your organization?

Bank

Online-only unit of a traditional bank

Neobank without a banking charter (e.g., challenger bank)

Credit union

Payments processor, facilitator, network

Tech vendor/fintech

Other

Based on your current-year innovation budget, please indicate on a scale of 1 to 10, the priority level for each area of innovation.

1=lowest priority. 10=highest priority.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Digital + Mobile-First Banking
Open Banking + Open Finance
Regulation + Compliance + Risk Management
Artificial Intelligence
Embedded Finance
Payments
Banking-as-a-Service
Cybersecurity + Fraud
On-Chain Finance (Crypto + Blockchain)
Customer Experience
Other

Nomination Details

While it’s not required to answer every question, providing more complete information will give our editorial team a greater ability to evaluate your impact and accurately assess your ranking on the list. All information you provide is strictly confidential.

Leadership & Delivery

How have you identified and driven transformative technology initiatives in your role? Please share any specific examples.

How many new digital transformation initiatives, including major projects or pilots, have you launched in the past 12 months?

Please enter a number from 1 to 99.

Including both direct and indirect reports, approximately how many employees are in your span of responsibility?

Please enter a number from 1 to 99.

Thinking broadly, of the staff under your responsibility, how would you estimate their time is divided between maintaining business-as-usual operations versus contributing to new initiatives (such as digital transformation)?
Please write in percentages below, total must equal 100%

Maintaining business-as-usual operations

Please enter a number from 0 to 100.

Contributing to new initiatives (such as digital transformation)

Who is directly impacted by the digital transformation initiatives you lead at your organization?

Select all that apply.

My immediate team

Other teams/departments in my function

Multiple functions/business units

The enterprise as a whole

External partners/customers/ecosystem

Investment Stewardship

Of the technology budget you are responsible for, approximately what percentage is dedicated to new initiatives such as digital transformation versus maintaining business-as-usual operations?
Please write in percentages below, total must equal 100%

Business-as-usual operations

Please enter a number from 0 to 100.

New initiatives (such as digital transformation)

Approximately how much funding (in USD) is allocated annually to the digital transformation initiatives you lead?

Please include all relevant expenditures (capital, operational, people, partners and other resources beyond business-as-usual operations)

Compared with the previous 12 months, how has the funding for the digital transformation initiatives you lead changed?

Increased by 25% or more

Increased by 10%-24%

Increased by 1%-9%

Remained the same

Decreased by 1%-9%

Decreased by 10%-24%

Decreased by 25% or more

Ecosystem & Partnerships

Please list and briefly describe the acquisitions or partnerships that you have initiated that have contributed to the success of the digital transformation efforts you lead?

Impact of Digital Transformation Initiatives

Please describe the impact on your organization of one or two of the most significant technology innovations you have led?

Approximately how much cost savings (in USD) have the digital transformation initiatives you lead generated over the past 12 months?

Include savings from efficiency improvements, process automation, or other operational gains.

Approximately how much additional revenue (in USD) have the digital transformation initiatives you lead generated over the past 12 months?

Include revenue from new products, services, or improved customer outcomes.

Career Impact & Innovation Legacy

Describe how specific digital transformation efforts you’ve led over the course of your career have impacted the industry or society writ large?

How many patents list you as a named inventor for innovation efforts you have directly led or significantly contributed to during your career at your current company or previous companies?

Over the course of your career, what awards or industry recognition have you or your team received related to transformative technology innovations?

Referral

If you know of any other executive leaders of digital transformation that should be considered for this ranking, please list them below.

Name

Job Title

Company

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a cost to apply for the award?

No. There is no fee to apply.

Can I submit more than one application for the same award from our company?

Yes. You can nominate as many people as you like from your company, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria.

Is there a requirement to attend the conference to receive the award?

No.

Is there a fee to attend the conference for honorees who receive the award?

No. Honorees are invited to attend the conference and dinner at no charge. While, there is no fee to attend for honorees themselves, they would be on their own for travel and accommodations. If additional company guests would like to attend the conference and or dinner there are costs associated with participation. Event passes are available on the conference website, and we will be offering table sponsorship for the dinner. Please download our event prospectus and/or contact our sales team for more information.

Will there be a cost associated with acquiring the rights to promote the award if we win?

No. American Banker’s promotion team will supply all honorees with social graphics, sample press releases and other materials to encourage circulation of your award.

Have additional questions? Please contact awards@arizent.com.