Can a big bank be hip? Fortune 500 U.S. Bank has been selectively acquiring fintech startups with an eye on the digital future. Tim Welsh is a key player in that strategy. In 2019 the bank acquired Silicon Valley-based talech and in 2021 acquired Bento Technologies, based in Chicago and San Francisco. Both offer technology to help small businesses. Welsh joined the company in 2017 and reports directly to CEO Andy Cecere. “Fintechs, along with digital leaders in other industries, set the bar for client experience,” says Welsh. “We work hard to meet or raise that bar while also ensuring we are able to provide that human connection.”