Arriba Advisors Welcomes Fintech Veteran Tricia Smith as Senior Project Coordinator

Nearly two decades across core banking, digital banking and payments gives Smith a multi-dimensional view of the vendor landscape.

TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Arriba Advisors, a leading strategic advisory firm serving community financial institutions nationwide, today announced the addition of Tricia Smith as senior project coordinator. With nearly two decades of experience helping community banks and credit unions navigate technology initiatives, strengthen operational efficiency and maximize the value of their technology investments, Smith brings a depth and breadth of expertise that meaningfully expands Arriba's already formidable advisory capabilities.

Smith's career has taken her across some of the industry's most recognized names in core banking, digital banking and payments. This experience gives her a rare, multi-dimensional view of the vendor landscape and a firsthand understanding of how technology decisions play out at the institutional level. She has guided complex implementations, led project management efforts, and helped financial institutions evaluate, adopt and optimize solutions aligned with their strategic goals. That track record across multiple fintech environments equips her with a well-versed perspective.

That perspective deepened further when Smith witnessed the cultural and operational shifts that can accompany investor-led ownership in the fintech space. The experience reinforced what she already believed, that community financial institutions deserve advisors whose loyalty is undivided and whose counsel is grounded in their clients' best interests, not outside stakeholders. It's a conviction that made Arriba Advisors a natural destination for Smith.

“What attracted me to Arriba Advisors was the firm's reputation as a trusted advocate for financial institutions and its unwavering commitment to helping clients make informed decisions,” said Smith. “I'm honored to join a team that shares my passion for serving community banks and credit unions, building relationships rooted in trust and integrity and helping institutions achieve their strategic goals.”

Smith's arrival further strengthens Arriba's advisory capabilities across the services that matter most to the community institutions it serves. Her hands-on experience spanning core banking systems, digital banking platforms, payments infrastructure and vendor management makes her an immediate resource for clients navigating evaluations, contract negotiations and technology strategy decisions of every scale and complexity.

“Tricia has worked inside the vendor world at multiple levels and across multiple disciplines, and that gives her a thorough understanding of the landscape that is extraordinarily valuable to our clients,” said Tom Russell, partner and co-founder of Arriba Advisors. “When you’re helping a financial institution make a high-stakes technology decision, the ability to see it from multiple vantage points is a rare and powerful thing. Tricia brings that, and she brings it with the kind of integrity and commitment to client success that defines everything we do at Arriba.”

Outside of her professional career, Smith is the co-founder of Time to Shine, a nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful experiences for individuals with special needs and their families.

To learn more about the work Arriba Advisors does to accelerate growth objectives for financial institutions across the country, visit arribaadvisors.com.

###

About Arriba Advisors
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Arriba Advisors delivers business enablement and cost alignment to financial institutions nationwide. The firm brings a fresh, partner-led approach, built on more than 200 years of combined fintech experience and more than 2,000 successfully negotiated contracts, to technology evaluations and contract negotiations. The firm’s proprietary Arriba Reserve engine provides clients with live market data, tested redlines and specialized intelligence to ensure optimal outcomes in PIN network optimization, core renewals and payments selection. For more information, visit arribaadvisors.com, or follow the firm @arriba-advisors on LinkedIn.

Andy Goldstein
Brand825
+1 615-922-5265
andy@brand825.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.