Bankwell: Unifying Data and Teams Across a Modern CRM Stack
Banking

Bankwell: Unifying Data and Teams Across a Modern CRM Stack

By: Mohamed Ghaleb, CFA
  / March 13, 2026

Overview

Bankwell, a Nasdaq-listed commercial bank, partnered with Learners.ai to modernize customer and deal management through HubSpot. The system was integrated securely with the bank’s core, loan origination, and client support platforms.

The result was a unified, audit-ready CRM ecosystem supporting 70+ users across departments. It enabled 90-day liquidity forecasting, reduced SLA response times, and operationalized SBA deal flow, all while meeting and/or enhancing the governance standards of a regulated institution.

Before Learners.ai

Before partnering with Learners.ai, Bankwell managed customer activity across multiple systems. While effective for day-to-day operations, this structure created opportunities to improve collaboration, reporting, and cross-team visibility through a unified CRM.

Fragmented Systems
Client data was spread across a core (transactional) banking system, spreadsheets, and team-specific tools, limiting a shared view of the customer experience.

Manual Workflows
Service requests and time-based opportunities such as CD renewals were tracked via email and offline databases, making it harder to maintain consistency and visibility across teams.

Limited Pipeline Oversight
SBA, Commercial, and Treasury teams managed opportunities independently, which made institution-wide forecasting and management more complex.

Ad Hoc Coordination
Without a centralized system, departments relied on cross-functional communication to stay aligned on client activity and outcomes.

The Challenge

Standing up a modern CRM inside a publicly traded bank required more than configuration. Learners.ai had to deliver:

  • A phased rollout that preserved business continuity.
  • Secure data flows from the bank’s core operating system and loan origination platforms into HubSpot.
  • HubSpot integration with existing phone/chat support application without breaching privacy controls.
  • Role-based permissions across 70+ users.
  • Reporting tailored to both executive management and FDIC expectations.

The Solution

Learners.ai delivered a full-stack HubSpot Enterprise implementation designed for audit-readiness, user adoption, and forward-looking visibility.

CRM Configuration by Business Line (Sales & Service Hub Enterprise)

  • Structured Pipelines for Commercial Lending, SBA Lending, Treasury Management, and Private Client Banking workflows
  • Centralized Ticketing for client support and operations
  • Custom Fields aligned with financial product types and renewal cadences

Secure Data Integrations (Operations Hub Professional)

  • Operational Core → HubSpot: Middleware-enabled account sync for deposit and CD data
  • Loan Origination Program(s) → HubSpot: Loan submissions automatically generate SBA deals
  • Chat/Phone Support Application → HubSpot: Live chat sessions create support tickets with internal audit trails

Engagement Workflows (Marketing Hub Enterprise – Light)

  • Lead life cycle enhancement via the development of targeted sequences for retail banking team
  • Renewal email campaigns and banker outreach triggers based on product maturity dates
  • SLA breach alerts and lifecycle follow-ups embedded in workflow logic

Compliance-Ready Governance

  • Role-based access controls tied to job function
  • Standardized SLA logic across teams
  • Audit logging and field-level encryption enabled from day one

Dashboards for Leadership

  • CFO dashboards offering 90-day visibility into deposit maturities and liquidity planning
  • Department-specific reports for pipeline activity, SLA breaches, and product renewals

Key Systems Integrated & Replaced

Replaced:

  • Department-owned tools with no audit trail
  • Inbox-based servicing (inbound and internal servicing) queues
  • Manual product renewal tracking in spreadsheets

Integrated:

  • Core banking data (non-transactional)
  • Loan originations applications into CRM
  • Live phone and chat into support tickets
  •  Email, Calendars, SLA tracking systems (synced into HubSpot workflows) 

The Results

  • 70+ Users Adopted Across 5 Departments

    CRM became the shared system of record for Commercial Lending, Treasury Management, Client Support, Finance, SBA Lending and Retail Banking teams. 

  • SLA Response Times Improved by 80%

    Median first-response times dropped below 4 hours through structured SLA workflows and auto-assignment. 

  • Product Renewal Logging and Performance Coaching

     CD Maturity dates now trigger banker outreach. Engagement is logged for compliance and renewal tracking. 

  • SBA Loan Origination Pipeline Operationalized

    Third-party platform submissions now generate structured deals in HubSpot with task-level visibility and status control. 

  • Email Engagement Outperformed Benchmarks

    Renewal campaigns achieved 55.8% open rates and 36.3% click‑through rates, well above typical financial‑services averages, with 0% unsubscribes. 

  • 90-Day Liquidity Forecasting Dashboards

    Finance leaders can now model deposit maturities and fundings, informing capital strategy. 

Strategic Takeaway

This project strengthened Bankwell’s ability to collaborate across departments, deliver consistent client experiences, and plan proactively, supported by a secure, audit-ready CRM ecosystem purpose built for regulated environments.

Executive Reflection

"Working with Learners.ai has given us the structure and confidence to modernize without losing sight of our regulatory needs. The CRM platform they are engineering with us on the HubSpot platform has helped us connect the dots across our evolving technology stack, product teams, and bankers, ultimately improving how we serve clients and manage our"

— Ryan Hildebrand, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Bankwell

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