This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Rose Oswald Poels, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association.
Oswald Poels shares her view on the latest economic trends, noting her predictions from the end of 2025 have largely aligned with how the first quarter has played out.
“I said it was going to be a mixed economy, and … that’s certainly proving to be more true than I even envisioned,” she said. “With the war in Iran, and now prolonged war, it’s certainly wreaking havoc on different sectors, and when it comes to basic things like the price of gas at the pump for consumers, it’s certainly impacting everyone’s pocketbooks.”
Even if the conflict in Iran is resolved, Oswald Poels notes midterm elections — happening later this year — typically lead to some economic uncertainty, predicting “continued volatility” throughout 2026.
The conversation also explores how bankers are integrating AI into their operations, as many in Wisconsin are deploying the technology internally to improve operations, writing communications for customers and more. Others are using customer-facing AI chatbots to answer questions and provide online navigation help.
“I think more of it will start to roll out down the road, certainly maybe even in the credit analyst world where there’s a lot of number crunching and data analytics going on by humans currently,” she said. “With the help of some software, I think that AI can also intervene in that space to improve upon those efficiencies.”
While she said there will always be “a human element” in this process, she expects banks may employ fewer of these analysts over time as AI plays a larger role.
Meanwhile, Oswald Poels also discusses the recently announced acquisition of American National Bank Fox Cities by Landmark Credit Union, explaining her concerns with the move and broader national trend of large credit unions acquiring community banks.
She argues tax advantages enjoyed by credit unions make for an unfair playing field.
“We certainly believe that credit unions that are $1 billion or larger in asset size should really be in today’s world treated just like a bank,” Oswald Poels said. “They act like a bank in all other regards, and so they should be paying taxes.”
Listen to the podcast below and see the full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts.
See more on the debate over the Landmark Credit Union acquisition in a recent story.
WBA is partnering with WisPolitics-State Affairs and WisBusiness to host the 2026 Wisconsin Economic Forecast Luncheon on April 29 in Madison.
Along with keynote speaker Robert Dietz, the top economist at the National Association of Home Builders, the event will feature Department of Workforce Development economist Scott Hodek and other speakers. Register here.
