Landmark's Alkami partnership lifts business banking

Alkami has highlighted the results of its partnership with Landmark Credit Union, centred on Landmark's use of Alkami's digital banking platform.

After replacing retail-based workarounds with a business banking set-up built on Alkami's system, Landmark expanded its business banking operation. Business profiles rose from 135 to more than 7,800, business deposits increased 22% year on year, and treasury services generated more than USD $150,000 in annual non-interest income.

The figures offer a case study in how regional lenders are using digital channels to deepen commercial relationships while drawing on peer networks to share practical ideas on product design and customer engagement.

Landmark, which has USD $7.5 billion in assets, 35 branches, more than 400,000 members and more than 1,000 employees, also used the partnership to convene a user group in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The gathering brought together community banks and credit unions using the same digital banking system.

According to the companies, discussions focused on digital engagement, the banking preferences of Generation Z customers and business banking strategies. Because participants shared a common platform, the conversation moved into detailed comparisons of configuration choices, rollout plans and ways to encourage digital use.

Attendees also discussed in-application messaging, alerts and card controls, as well as ways to package treasury and commercial banking services for business clients. A live student panel organised by Landmark challenged assumptions about digital-first banking and underscored the continuing importance of trust and human interaction.

Peer network

The emphasis on collaboration between institutions that might otherwise compete reflects a broader pattern in financial technology procurement. Banks and credit unions are increasingly looking beyond software deployment to operating models, user feedback and peer benchmarking.

Sara Blake, Digital Banking Product Manager at Landmark Credit Union, described the rationale for convening the regional group.

"We wanted to create a space where financial institutions could openly share what's working, learn from each other's experiences, and walk away with ideas they can immediately put into action," said Sara Blake, Digital Banking Product Manager at Landmark Credit Union.

"When we collaborate like this, it strengthens not just our individual organisations, but the communities we all serve," Blake said.

For Alkami, the Landmark relationship illustrates how customer communities can extend beyond the software contract itself. Landmark became an early participant in its Midwest network, helping create a forum where users compared operational decisions rather than discussing broad industry themes alone.

That matters in business banking, where institutions often face more complex customer requirements than in retail banking. Smaller lenders have historically relied on consumer-facing systems and manual processes to serve commercial clients, especially in treasury management, payments and user administration.

A dedicated business banking model can help address those gaps, but execution depends on product configuration, staff training and commercial packaging. The reported jump from 135 to more than 7,800 business profiles suggests Landmark significantly widened the reach of its digital commercial offering over several years.

Commercial focus

The 22% annual growth in business deposits is also notable, given that deposit gathering remains a central priority for many lenders. Commercial accounts can provide a stable funding base, but competition for those balances has intensified as businesses seek better digital access to cash management tools and account controls.

Landmark's reported USD $150,000 in annual non-interest income from treasury services points to another pressure on financial institutions: the need to build fee income alongside interest revenue. Treasury management products such as payments controls, alerts and account administration can help deepen business relationships while creating additional income streams.

Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer at Alkami, said the Landmark examples showed the link between collaboration and operating results.

"These case studies show what's possible when financial institutions combine collaboration with the right digital capabilities," said Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer at Alkami.

"By learning from one another and leveraging a modern platform, institutions can accelerate growth, strengthen their business banking offerings and deliver greater value to the people and businesses they serve," McCulloch said.

Alkami provides digital sales and service software to banks and credit unions in the United States, covering onboarding, digital banking, data and marketing. Landmark operates as a not-for-profit financial cooperative, serving members through its branch network and digital channels.

The Landmark user group discussions, particularly around Generation Z behaviour and the balance between digital access and personal trust, point to a challenge facing many financial institutions as they modernise services without losing the relationship-based elements that distinguish community lenders.

At the same time, Landmark's commercial growth figures suggest that digital investment is increasingly judged not just on member experience but on measurable business results such as deposit growth, fee income, and the ability to serve a larger base of business users.