Founder and CEO
Piermont Bank
Wendy Cai-Lee is the Founder and CEO of Piermont Bank, a fully chartered digital commercial bank, and the first multi-racial MDI (Minority Depository Institution) in the United States. The bank is the engine behind many successful fintechs as well as entrepreneur-led businesses in many leading industry sectors. With nearly 30 years of executive-level experience managing and leading Fortune 500 companies and startups, Wendy is a subject matter expert in fintech, international finance and banking.
Prior to building Piermont Bank, she was an Executive Vice President at East West Bank, responsible for its Commercial and Consumer Businesses in the U.S. Prior to East West, Wendy was a Managing Director at Deloitte LLP, where she managed its U.S./China cross-border M&A business. She started her banking career with JP Morgan Chase and held various management positions at both Chase and Citi. Wendy is named to Inc.'s 2024 Female Founders 250 and was an honoree of The Most Powerful Women in Banking to Watch by American Banker in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Wendy is a member of New York State Department of Financial Services’ Charter Advisory Board and CDFI/MDI Council. In addition, Wendy is an Emeritus member of the Board of Friends of UNFPA. She also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at Douglass College. Wendy received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University.
For community banks, the risk environment in 2026 isn’t just more complex—it’s more fluid, more political and far less forgiving. Supervisory expectations are shifting in real time, enforcement is increasingly proactive, and compliance teams are being asked to manage everything from capital and liquidity pressure to new oversight around crypto, digital assets, and emerging payment rails.
This fireside chat focuses the conversation around how community banks can modernize their risk and compliance frameworks without drowning in cost or complexity. The one-on-one discussion will unpack the most important regulatory priorities, how examiners are evaluating governance and controls, and what soundness looks like in a world of faster money movement and rising fraud. The discussion will also tackle how banks can use technology—especially automation, analytics and identity tools—to strengthen AML/KYC while improving efficiency. The conversation will take up how to navigate evolving rules, risk frameworks, and supervisory expectations, including: