Tony DeSanctis will deliver the 2026 Robert Stafford Lecture on Banking on Thursday, April 9, in the Stark Lecture Hall, 1148 Gerdin Business Building. DeSanctis is the senior director of client education and knowledge strategy at Cornerstone Advisors.
The lecture is open to the public with no charge for admission.
In his lecture, “The Future of Banking,” DeSanctis will cover the evolution of banking over the next decade, including stablecoins, buy now pay later (BNPL), fintech, and other disruptors that are likely to change the face of banking in the coming years.
About the speaker
Tony DeSanctis is the senior director of client education and knowledge strategy at Cornerstone Advisors, where he leads the firm’s external education business, develops thought leadership content, and shapes internal knowledge strategy. He facilitates executive-level learning programs, such as Payments School and C-suite roundtables, and hosts quarterly sessions on emerging topics like fraud and fintech disruption. A frequent voice in the firm’s video series and social media, he also mentors junior consultants and oversees Cornerstone’s summer intern capstone program. His work sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and talent development.
Tony is a seasoned senior financial services executive with a track record of managing product, operational, and analytical organizations; re-engineering processes, launching products, optimizing customer relationships, and generating incremental revenue. He brings an extensive background in product management, sales strategies, existing customer marketing, and customer retention.
His prior experience includes serving as senior vice president of payments and mobile banking at the Bank of Hawaii and as consumer bank and card marketing operations director for customer marketing at Bank of America.
Tony is frequently quoted in industry periodicals, including American Banker, Banking Dive, Financial Brand, CU Today, and CU Management.
About the series
The Robert Stafford Lecture Series on Banking was established by the Ivy College of Business and funded by Ames National Corporation as a part of its 100 years of service to Ames. The lecture honors the late Robert Stafford for his many years of dedicated service to First National Bank and Ames National Corporation.
For more information about this event, please contact Curt Hoff, professor of practice in the Department of Finance.