CNB Bank’s Yarrow Diamond on fintech, psychology, and innovation

Yarrow Diamond can laugh now about how desperate life seemed 15 years ago. A single mom with a psychology and international business degree from Hawaii Pacific University, she was tending bar in Las Vegas, barely able to scrape up $5 for a jar of pickles for her young son. When the boy dropped the jar and it shattered, she knew something had to change.

“I needed to put on my big girl clothes, find a job and provide a life for my son. That was my turning point.”

From IBM to CNB Bank

Technology didn’t initially interest Diamond, but she found part-time work at IBM helping call-in customers troubleshoot. Her psychology background turned out to be an asset — she could help customers who were befuddled by technology.

The more she learned about tech, the more she realized it and psychology could be complementary. She’s since built a career blending the two, most recently at CNB Bank in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

“I think I am, if not unique, somewhat out of the norm for a technology executive’s role. But I really enjoy that I focus on the psychology of human beings that I’m translating into technology solutions.”

A Unique Role in Innovation

Senior Vice President, Innovation and Technology Officer

Promoted in February, Diamond’s title reflects CNB’s emphasis on innovation. Other companies might call her a CIO or deputy, but that wouldn’t capture the full scope.

“We have embedded innovation into all we do. It’s not just infotech anymore. It’s enterprise leadership.”

A community bank heavily invested in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, CNB goes the extra mile in customer experience and technology to make a difference.

The Tech Stack

Digital banking gained irreversible momentum during COVID-19, and Diamond has been building out the “S factors” — a suite of tools that work together:

• Salesforce — Customer relationship management, back-office automation, and analytics
• Sandbox Banking — Integration with other systems for testing products and services
• Snowflake Inc. — Cloud-based data warehousing for storing and analyzing data
• Smartsheet — Task assignment, project tracking, and document sharing

“I realized the need for the company to collaborate. These are more than just standard solutions for project management. All departments have the tools to customize to their intent.”

Robotic Process Automation and Backbase

Diamond has also implemented robotic process automation and partnered with Backbase USA Inc., whose banking software unifies data from traditional core systems and new fintech players into a seamless digital experience.

With all these systems in sync — along with CNB’s custom-built solutions — the bank can process loan applications for small business clients in minutes rather than weeks.

Keeping the Human Element

Despite her embrace of technology, Diamond warns against going all-in on automation.

“Automation and artificial intelligence are great tools, but we need to be careful in its uses. It has the potential to make a mistake and disadvantage a community of people. We still need emotional contact.”

Diamond’s Education Journey

Diamond has earned:

• BS in Business IT Management — Western Governors University
• Master’s in Enterprise Architecture — Penn State
• Doctorate (in progress) — Purdue University, combining transformative STEM education with world-changing research

Upon completing her doctorate, she plans to continue her enterprise leadership career and branch out into teaching.

A Long Road Traveled

Diamond has crisscrossed the country with stints in real estate, hospitality, and financial services, including nine years at Health Net in California and Oregon. Before CNB, she spent three years at Edelman Financial Engines in Fairfax, Virginia, building IT and business architectural expertise. Though new to banking in 2019, she adjusted fast.

Full Circle

Today, rather than worrying about the price of pickles, Diamond is picking colors for her office decor.

And that little son who once cried for pickles? He just graduated from Brown University and starts classes at the University of Chicago Law School this fall.