# Fred Cadena

> Fred Cadena is SVP, Managing Principal at Vericast, where he advises bank and credit union C-suite leaders on customer acquisition and retention. A former optionsXpress executive and Accenture, Capgemini and IBM consulting leader, he hosts the Banking on Disruption podcast and co-founded Banker's Book Club.

## Bio

Fred Cadena helped disrupt retail wealth management before learning what it feels like from the other side. As an early executive at optionsXpress, running market risk and operations technology modernization, he helped a Chicago startup pull retail investors away from the traditional brokerage model. Then low rates, thin trading volume, and regulatory change did to optionsXpress roughly what optionsXpress had done to everyone else, and Charles Schwab acquired the company in 2011 for about $1 billion.

Fred has been professionally preoccupied with what happens next ever since.

That question carried him through leadership roles at Accenture, Capgemini, and IBM, where he spent a decade helping large banks and credit unions rebuild their customer experience on Salesforce and the rest of the modern MarTech stack. He came away convinced that the technology is almost never the constraint. Today he is SVP, Managing Principal at Vericast, where he works with C-suite leaders at banks and credit unions on the least forgiving problem in the business: getting someone to move their money to you, and then getting them to stay.

Most of that work runs on data. Fred's 2026 analysis of 48,000 acquisition campaigns across more than 800 financial institutions produced a finding he is glad to argue about: an offer strong enough to move someone is strong enough to move them again. A good offer opens the door. It has never been the reason anyone stayed.

Which points at the thing he actually believes, and which sits oddly beside a career spent in data: banking is deeply human. The model can find the right person, and the offer can get them through the door. Whether they are still there in three years has almost nothing to do with either. It comes down to whether anyone gave them a reason that wasn't a number.

Fred hosts the Banking on Disruption podcast, which covers banking, fintech, and the Salesforce ecosystem, and co-founded Banker's Book Club. He lives in Boulder County, Colorado, where he keeps notes on every wine he tries and has yet to find the data that explains why the same bottle is better on a Friday than it was on a Tuesday.

## Quick facts

- Current role: SVP, Managing Principal, Vericast
- Focus: Deposit and member acquisition, retention, data-driven marketing for banks and credit unions
- Previously: optionsXpress (acquired by Charles Schwab, 2011); Accenture; Capgemini; IBM
- Podcast: Host, Banking on Disruption; co-founder, Banker's Book Club
- Credentials: 13x Salesforce certified
- Based in: Boulder County, Colorado

## Pages

- [About](https://fredcadena.com/about/): full bio and FAQ
- [Media](https://fredcadena.com/media/): articles, press quotes and podcast appearances
- [Speaking](https://fredcadena.com/speaking/): upcoming and past conference talks

## Media appearances

- [How Banks and Credit Unions Can Win with Hyperlocal Marketing](https://www.vericast.com/insights/blog/how-banks-and-credit-unions-can-win-with-hyperlocal-marketing/), Vericast, quoted (September 10, 2026): Vericast recap of Fred's Banking Transformed conversation on hyperlocal banking marketing and paid social.
- [The Grass is Greener (With the Right Incentive)](https://thecreditunionconnection.com/the-grass-is-greener-with-the-right-incentive/), The Credit Union Connection, podcast (September 3, 2026): Fred discusses research that 74% of adults would switch institutions for the right incentive.
- [Gen Z Trusts Local Banks & Credit Unions, So What Helps Them Choose One?](https://www.finopotamus.com/post/gen-z-trusts-local-banks-credit-unions-so-what-helps-them-choose-one), Finopotamus, article (May 7, 2026): Guest editorial on winning Gen Z through digital channels and well-timed guidance around life milestones.
- [Unsure About Cash Incentives? Read This Before You Join the Fray](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/banking-products/unsure-about-competing-with-cash-incentives-read-this-before-you-join-the-fray-196884), The Financial Brand, quoted (April 21, 2026): Feature built around Fred's framework for competing with checking cash incentives, including the Priming Moment of Truth.
- [Beyond Bonuses: Winning the Checking Acquisition Battle](https://thefinancialbrand.com/banking-webinars/beyond-bonuses-winning-the-checking-acquisition-battle), The Financial Brand, webinar (April 7, 2026): On-demand webinar with Fred as featured expert on winning checking customers beyond cash bonuses.
- [Banks Are Wasting 50% of Their Marketing Budget](https://thefinancialbrand.com/banking-podcasts/banks-are-wasting-50-of-their-marketing-budget), Banking Transformed with Jim Marous, podcast (December 11, 2025): Fred and Jim Marous discuss hyperlocal marketing, household data and why relevance beats reach.
- [7 Insights on Personalization from Vericast's Financial Industry Experts](https://www.vericast.com/insights/blog/7-insights-on-personalization-from-vericasts-financial-industry-experts/), Vericast Insights, quoted (July 21, 2025): Q&A panel on bank personalization where Fred urges strategy first, not tool adoption.
- [Advancing Rev Ops, Sales Strategies, and AI - A Focus On Fin Serv](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/advancing-rev-ops-sales-strategies-and-ai-a-focus-on-fin-serv/id1676084868?i=1000653366103), The Hiring Edge, podcast (April 19, 2024): Fred joins as featured guest to discuss Financial Services Cloud, rev ops and AI in financial services.
- [AI, MBAs, and the Future of Salesforce Careers: A Candid Career Conundrum](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-mbas-and-the-future-of-salesforce-careers/id1676084868?i=1000641191821), The Hiring Edge, podcast (January 9, 2024): Panel discussion on AI fatigue, MBAs and Salesforce career paths.
- [2024 Salesforce Ecosystem Predictions + The Best of 2023 with Past Guests](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2024-salesforce-ecosystem-predictions-the-best-of/id1676084868?i=1000639233924), The Hiring Edge, podcast (December 18, 2023): Past guests, including Fred, review 2023 and predict the 2024 Salesforce ecosystem.
- [Mastering Career and Salary Negotiations: Salesforce, AI Insights, and Strategies](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-career-and-salary-negotiations-salesforce/id1676084868?i=1000634159614), The Hiring Edge, podcast (November 8, 2023): Featured guest sharing takeaways from Florida Dreamin and AI's role in Salesforce solutions.
- [Boosting Your Salesforce Career: LinkedIn Strategies, Career Paths, and Starting a Consulting Firm](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/boosting-your-salesforce-career-linkedin-strategies/id1676084868?i=1000627775090), The Hiring Edge, podcast (September 13, 2023): Panel on LinkedIn strategy, networking and Dreamforce for Salesforce professionals.
- [Unlocking the Potential of Your Salesforce Partnerships: A Conversation with John Sisson](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-the-potential-of-your-salesforce/id1676084868?i=1000625407094), The Hiring Edge, podcast (August 22, 2023): Fred joins as a partner panelist on getting the most from Salesforce partnerships.
- [Hottest Salesforce Certifications, How to Join a Consulting Firm, Disclosing Disabilities](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hottest-salesforce-certifications-how-to-join-a/id1676084868?i=1000623222450), The Hiring Edge, podcast (August 2, 2023): Panel on in-demand Salesforce certifications and joining a consulting firm.
- [Securing Fair Compensation: Strategies for Job Offer Negotiation](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/securing-fair-compensation-strategies-for-job-offer/id1676084868?i=1000622301078), The Hiring Edge, podcast (July 25, 2023): Special guest on negotiating job offers; also discusses relaunching Banking on Disruption.
- [Forging Your Path in Salesforce: A European Conference Adventure + AMA](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forging-your-path-in-salesforce-a-european/id1676084868?i=1000619380549), The Hiring Edge, podcast (June 27, 2023): Final segment guest on navigating the job market and standing out in interviews.

## Elsewhere

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredcadena/
- https://about.me/fredcadena
- https://bankingondisruption.com/
- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banking-on-disruption/id1521180200
- https://gowestassociation.org/bio/fred-cadena/
- https://bankersbookclub.com/
- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bankers-book-club/id1777246365