Episode Overview

Luke interviews Read Winkelman, VP of Campus ID at Transact & CBORD, on his 30-year career, leading through the Transact–CBORD merger, and the real-world state of mobile credentials.

Key Takeaways

• Career Path: Former RA/hall director who joined CBORD “for two years” and stayed 30—through private ownership, PE, acquisition by Roper, and the Transact–CBORD combo—serving the same higher-ed customers.

• Team & Leadership: Leads Campus ID across product, marketing, cloud-migration (“Journey”) and transformation—~12 people. Principles: high do-say ratio, lead by example, set outcomes (not tactics), coach teams to bring solutions, visit customers often.

• Mobile Credentials: Strong adoption where launched (from Swarthmore to UT Knoxville). Biggest barrier is infrastructure, not student demand. Shifts card offices from printing plastic to higher-value, student-facing service.

• Platform & Cloud (IDX): Multi-tenant, API-first; biweekly feature releases. Long runways for legacy systems; goal is to make migration attractive, not forced (though OS/DB changes can drive timing).

• Broader Solution Set: Merger = integrated ecosystem (campus ID, payments, food & nutrition, POS, mobile ordering, access control). Apple-like “it just works,” plus partner options when desired.

• Access Control: Adds CBORD’s NCS Access (campus-specific features) alongside partner AC, giving campuses more choice within one ecosystem.

• AI & Trends: Campuses are setting guardrails; early wins with natural-language queries and potential for student-service personalization.

• Personal: St. Paul-based hiker/runner/hockey coach; coffee = cold brew. Advice to 18-year-old self: study abroad and enjoy the moment.

Final Thoughts

A student-first, interoperable ecosystem + cloud cadence = faster innovation and simpler operations—delivered by teams that keep promises and stay close to customers.