Luis Soto Carrillo

SVP/Managing Director, Strategy & Growth First Commonwealth Credit Union

Luis R. Soto Carrillo is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Strategy & Growth at First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union, where he leads enterprise strategy, growth, marketing, product strategy, innovation, and market research. He also chairs First Commonwealth's Real Estate Committee, helping guide retail network strategy and data-informed location decisions. For more than 15 years, Luis has helped mission-driven organizations turn strategy into action. His work spans retail network strategy, data-informed market and location planning, and strategies that extend financial education and coaching beyond traditional branch transactions, as well as brand platforms such as Working Class, a documentary focused on financial education and economic mobility. His background also includes experience as an adjunct lecturer, and he is a frequent speaker on strategy, innovation, leadership, and growth.

Building for Growth - Human Centered and Innovative Branches

3:30 PM Presentation: The Fabric of Community: Rethinking Branches, Financial Education, and Growth

As routine transactions move to digital channels, credit unions have an opportunity to rethink the role their branches, employees, and brands play in the communities they serve. Through the lens of strategy and growth, Luis Soto Carrillo will share how First Commonwealth is shifting member experience associates toward financial coaching, extending financial education beyond the branch, and using storytelling to demonstrate community impact. Featuring clips from Working Class, a documentary following financial education inside an Allentown middle school, the session explores how purpose, physical presence, and community engagement can work together to build relevance and long-term growth.

Creating Trust and Loyalty Through CX and Connected Culture

11:00 AM Keynote: Right Branch, Right Format: Using Location Analytics and Technology-Enabled Design to Build the Future Branch Network

As digital adoption accelerates, financial institutions are rethinking the role, size, format, and purpose of the physical branch. Rather than viewing branches as legacy transaction centers, leading banks and credit unions are using data-driven location analysis, market opportunity modeling, and new branch formats to create more efficient, accessible, and relationship-focused networks. This 20-minute session will explore how institutions can align branch placement strategy with evolving consumer expectations, competitive dynamics, demographic shifts, and technology-enabled service delivery.

The discussion will feature a customer perspective from a financial institution that has used location analysis services to guide network decisions while developing technology-focused branches. Attendees will hear how video teller capabilities, alternate branch designs, teller automation, and smaller-footprint formats can support stronger market coverage, improved operational efficiency, and a more flexible customer experience. The session will connect strategic planning with practical execution, showing how analytics and design choices can help institutions place the right branch in the right market with the right operating model.

Attendee Takeaways

• How location analytics can inform branch expansion, relocation, consolidation, and market coverage decisions.

• Why branch formats are shifting from transaction-heavy models to advisory, automation-enabled, and technology-supported experiences.

• How video teller, teller automation, and alternate design concepts can improve efficiency while preserving access to human support.

• Practical lessons from a financial institution applying analytics and technology to modernize its branch network.

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Luis.

Download The Latest Agenda