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International Women's Day 2023: Meet FTSI's Founder, CEO, and Chairwoman Susan Napier


Original Version Published in Perspectives Magazine May 2019: Volume 14, Issue 2, the Official Magazine of the Cornerstone Credit Union League. This article was updated on March 8th, 2023. 

 Meet Susan Napier

 

Today, FTSI celebrates and honors women across the world. This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The United Nations Observance of IWD in 2023 recognizes women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.  

 

connect.ftsius.comhubfsSusan Headshot

The word “can’t” doesn’t exist in her vocabulary when looking for solutions to meet her customers’ needs. Napier founded FTSI and has achieved success in her career on the philosophy of replacing “can’t do it” with “how can we do it?” 

 

This ideology, along with Napier’s visionary leadership, has propelled FTSI to become the largest independent provider of branch and digital solutions for community financial institutions over the past 25 years. 

  

“We have found a lot of those ‘how’s’ the last 25 years,” said Napier. “We haven’t let anything be stagnant within the company, and we continue to grow and learn with our customers as we have from the beginning.” 

  

Napier's excellence in customer service comes from extensive experience as her career began in the hospitality industry. She set herself up for future success by propelling through a management program while working full-time and putting herself through college to earn her bachelor’s degree. 

  

She gained insight into what makes great customer service after her run in the hospitality industry and since then made the bold decision to break out on her own. FTSI was founded out of her home office in 1998, and with Napier’s unwavering determination and drive, the organization has grown into a leader in the financial technology solutions space. 

  

Managing a startup had its challenges, especially as a female CEO in a male-dominated industry. “We failed fast in the beginning but succeeded quicker through our discovery over the years,” said Napier. 

  

Napier’s perseverance paid off. FTSI has grown exponentially since its inception and delivers solutions nationwide. FTSI has continued to evolve in the technology space, offering more software solutions to help customers stay on the cutting edge of digital banking. 

  

FTSI is now a go-to company for cutting-edge financial technology and security solutions for banks and credit unions of all sizes. 

 

To best serve her customers’ requests, Napier is always looking ahead to stay informed on the latest technology solutions. “I stay informed on what services FTSI should provide by going out to visit my customers and listening to their needs,” Napier said. “I always ask them the questions of what they need and where they want to be.” 

  

With offerings like appointment scheduling, digital ID verification, API integrations, digital customer service, digital strategy and blockchain consulting, along with hardware and security solutions, FTSI continues to stay at the forefront of their customers’ needs. 

 

As Napier looks to the future, her focus remains on providing the “how” solutions to best serve her customers. Banks and credit unions have changed dramatically since Napier started FTSI, and she always advises them to stay competitive by advancing their own technology as technology moves forward – and she’s here to help. 

  

“Our main goal is always to provide what our customers need for their business,” said Napier. “They are the people we work hard to make happy by providing the solutions that are important to them.” 

  

Read the full issue of Diversity & Inclusion in Credit Unions, Perspectives Volume 14, Issue 2 from May, 2019