Nuuvia Appoints Marcell King as CEO to Drive Youth Banking Growth for Community Financial Institutions

Nuuvia has appointed Marcell King as Chief Executive Officer, a strategic promotion aimed at reversing the sharp decline in deposit acquisition among community financial institutions. For fintech professionals, this move signals a critical shift in how community banks and credit unions leverage white-label platforms to reclaim the $2 trillion currently flowing into third-party digital apps.

What was announced

Portland-based Nuuvia confirmed that Marcell King will transition from his role as President and COO to CEO, reporting directly to the Board of Directors. The appointment follows a successful 18-month tenure during which King oversaw a doubling of the company’s customer base and contracted annual recurring revenue. His mandate is to lead Nuuvia through a growth phase focused on expanding market reach and advancing product strategy for Gen Z and Gen Alpha banking solutions.

The leadership change addresses a widening gap in the American financial landscape. Data from Cornerstone Advisors indicates that 56% of new bank accounts in 2025 were opened with fintechs or digital-only banks, a significant increase from 36% in 2020. Conversely, community bank account openings fell to just 3% in 2025, down from a 6% peak in 2023. Credit unions saw a similar decline, dropping from a 10% peak in 2022 to 4% in 2025.

Nuuvia’s platform is designed to help these institutions retain 100% of their deposits, interchange revenue, and data by providing modern digital channels. This is particularly urgent as 69% of credit union executives now cite member growth as their top priority for 2026, while 58% of bank executives identify deposit gathering as their primary concern.

"Nuuvia is uniquely positioned to move faster, think bigger and deliver the tools and experiences community banks and credit unions need to stay relevant and competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. We have a sharpened focus to provide financial institutions the tools needed to engage early and attract future generations, building trust and long-term, lasting relationships. I am honored to lead this team into its next chapter."

Marcell King, CEO of Nuuvia.

The companies involved

Nuuvia is a specialized youth banking platform provider that enables community financial institutions (CFIs) to compete with digital-native fintechs. By offering tools specifically designed for younger demographics, the company allows smaller banks and credit unions to build early relationships with Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers without losing control over the customer relationship or the underlying financial data. The company’s board includes industry veterans such as Bruce Willison, who serves as Chair, and Tom Shen, who is also associated with BankiFi.

Cornerstone Advisors is a leading management and technology consultancy for the financial services industry. The firm provides the benchmarking and market research that CFIs rely on to track deposit displacement and digital transformation trends. Their recent research highlights the existential threat posed by the $2 trillion migration of assets from traditional institutions to third-party fintech applications, a trend that has forced community banks to re-evaluate their customer acquisition strategies for 2026 and beyond.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the evolving priorities of community financial institutions as they battle for market share. Earlier this year, we covered how Alkami and Cornerstone Advisors Release the 2026 Digital Banking Performance Metrics Report for Retail and Business Banking, which highlighted the shifting KPIs for digital success. We also reported on InvestiFi Secures $20M to Scale Embedded Investing for Credit Unions and Community Banks, illustrating the increased capital flowing into tools that help CFIs retain members. Additionally, our coverage of Apiture and Cornerstone Advisors Join Forces to Help Financial Institutions Evaluate Their Strategic Use of Data and Credit Unions Poised to Dominate Underserved Business Banking Market, New Nymbus Research Reveals underscores the industry-wide push for data-driven growth strategies.

What this means

The promotion of Marcell King is a clear signal that Nuuvia is moving from a build-phase to an aggressive scaling phase. Community banks are currently in a defensive crouch; the Cornerstone data showing a 50% drop in their share of new account openings since 2023 is nothing short of an emergency. By positioning a veteran with 30 years of experience at the helm, Nuuvia is betting that CFIs will choose "sovereign" youth banking solutions—where they keep the data and interchange—over partnership models that siphon away the customer relationship. The next 12 months will be a test of whether community banks can actually execute on their stated priority of deposit growth or if the $2 trillion leak to fintechs will become a permanent flood.