Jill Castilla
President & CEO
LinkedInJill Castilla is a nationally recognized banking leader, innovator in financial technology, and a driving force in community banking. As President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond and Chairman of Citizens Bancshares, Inc., she has transformed the banking landscape with visionary leadership, groundbreaking solutions, and an unwavering commitment to serving communities and military members.
In 2009, Castilla took the helm of a struggling Citizens Bank of Edmond, navigating it through one of the fastest and most successful turnarounds during the financial crisis—achieved without the ability to inject additional capital. Her leadership in reshaping the bank’s vision, culture, and operational discipline earned Citizens Bank the prestigious "Top Team in Banking" award from American Banker in both 2014 and 2015. Castilla herself was honored as American Banker’s "Community Banker of the Year."
Following the turnaround, Castilla led the bank's evolution into a resilient and innovative institution. Adapting to modern banking needs, she developed cost-effective, customer-centric technologies, including an interactive teller system at ATMs, which was engineered for under $15,000 per device through creative partnerships with the food service and hospitality industries. She also invented, deployed, and secured a patent for a self-service cash and coin teller designed for small businesses—a crucial tool during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Castilla emerged as a national leader in supporting small businesses during the pandemic. She engaged in thousands of Twitter/X exchanges to connect small businesses with bankers nationwide. When stimulus check delays arose, she created a payment-advance program shared widely with financial institutions. In response to the complexity of PPP forgiveness applications, she developed and launched an automated tool within 10 days, benefiting over 250,000 small businesses. Her swift and decisive action earned praise from Mark Cuban, who described her as "no talk, all action." That year, Castilla was named "Executive of the Year" by Banking Dive, "Banker of the Year" by Cornerstone Advisors, and received Finovate’s "Fintech Partnership of the Year" award. She remains active on X and LinkedIn.
A respected voice on contemporary banking issues, Castilla has provided insights on topics such as FDIC deposit insurance during the SVB collapse and the impact of regulations on consumers and small businesses. She has spoken at over 100 industry events during her decade as CEO and frequently appears on national financial networks, including Bloomberg, Fox News, and Yahoo Finance. Inspired by her own military service, Castilla founded ROGER, a digital-first military bank. ROGER focuses on financial literacy, digital accessibility for military members, and no-fee account structures designed primarily for the enlisted community.
Castilla’s influence extends beyond community banking. She currently serves on the 12-member Federal Reserve Federal Advisory Council, alongside CEOs of the nation’s largest banks and chairs the SW Graduate School of Banking at SMU. For 11 consecutive years, American Banker has named her one of the "25 Most Powerful Women in Banking" and "Women to Watch." Her board service includes roles with the Association of Military Banks of America, MetaFund, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Castle Creek Capital, Port Authority of Oklahoma City, Mercy West, and CorriXR. Castilla has also served as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for over five years. She is a past American Bankers Association board member, Chairman of the Community Bankers Association of Oklahoma, and an Honorary Commander at Tinker Air Force Base. Castilla is a 2025 Oklahoma Military Heritage Foundation “Hall of Honors” inductee.
Jill Castilla’s career began with management roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and service in the Oklahoma Army National Guard. She holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hawaii Pacific University, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees. Castilla and her husband, LTC (Ret.) Marcus Castilla, are proud parents of an Army officer, a Navy officer, and a college freshman.