Jason Matthews, President & Chief Banking Officer, Dallas Capital Bank

In an interview with Invest:, Jason Matthews, president and chief banking officer of Dallas Capital Bank, reflected on the bank’s 22% compounded annual core loan growth over the past nine years. He highlighted the bank’s local decision-making advantage in North Texas and its focus on attracting top-tier talent as key factors positioning the bank for future growth.

What are your initial priorities in your new role, and what strategies have driven the bank’s growth?

First, we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last nine years. The first initiative is to double down on what’s been working for us. We plan to continue doing what we do well and that includes C&I lending, commercial real estate lending, private banking, and Treasury services for the businesses and entrepreneurs of North Texas.

While continuing to strengthen these areas, we’re also currently exploring new lines of business and verticals in order to compliment and expand the services offered to our current and future clients.

How has the bank continued to grow despite rising interest rates?

Since COVID, we’ve faced high inflation and volatile interest rates, which have slowed some sectors. However, we’ve continued onboarding clients and expanding our team, benefiting from North Texas’ job growth and economic opportunities. Our clients have weathered the high rates relatively well, though I’m confident they’ll welcome the expected rate decreases.

We’re optimistic about the next few years, feeling well-positioned to navigate the environment and excited for what’s ahead in 2025, 2026 and beyond.

What is your assessment of the banking landscape in North Texas?

It’s definitely a crowded market. We believe North Texas, especially Dallas, is the best economic market in the country — that’s why we put “Dallas” in our name when we founded the bank nine years ago. It’s no secret that every bank wants to be here, and I recently saw an article referencing 175 banks with a presence in the region.

What sets us apart is that while many banks operate here, few are headquartered locally or have decision-making power in the region. That’s a key differentiator for us. While other banks may have great client-facing bankers, our local approach, especially in credit decision-making, gives us a real advantage — and it’s something clients have responded to positively.

How is the bank’s focus on commercial real estate and middle market sectors evolving?

We’ve recently added a new Middle Market group, in addition to our Commercial Banking, Private Banking, and Commercial Real Estate groups. We felt this was an important expansion, as this group will bank all private equity and family office owned companies, as well as all syndicated or multi-bank relationships.  They will also have a specific focus on those larger, owner managed businesses across all industries, including manufacturing, distribution or service companies, that can often require more complex credit structures and/or more involved deposit and treasury management solutions.

The addition of this new group is a natural next step in Dallas Capital Bank’s growth and will allow us to improve our ability to bank Dallas’ best businesses. 

What sets Dallas Capital Bank apart in such a competitive market?

We take a balanced approach. While many banks here focus heavily on real estate, we value diversification. Our core loan portfolio is roughly half commercial real estate and half C&I and private banking, which evidences our commitment to client, industry and sector diversification. That mix is uncommon, especially for banks growing at our pace. A key commonality across all of our business units is that we serve the middle market, lower middle market, and entrepreneurs not Fortune 500 firms. Our clients, whether C&I, private banking or real estate, are typically entrepreneurs operating outside large corporate structures, which shapes how we serve them.

With further interest rate cuts expected, what opportunities do you see for your clients in the coming years?

The biggest opportunity is obviously further relief from higher borrowing costs. When commercial borrowing rates drop from 8.5% to around 6% or lower, there is a significant, positive impact in the client’s ability to service their debt. That relief boosts confidence, allowing clients to invest in new projects and hire more staff. It’s beneficial for the broader economy, as well as our clients’ operating environments, which in turn increases demand for our services. If we avoid a recession, 2025 and 2026 could be strong years for our clients, Dallas Capital Bank, and the banking industry overall.

How is the bank evolving its focus on serving its clients?

We invest heavily in people — our bankers — and in top-tier deposit and treasury management technology. Rather than trying to outspend the big banks on branch locations, we focus on best-in-class bankers, competitive products, and exceptional client service.

Many of our clients are non-borrowing, relying on us for deposits and treasury management. We’ve made significant investments in these areas over the past couple of years, and they’re a central part of our strategy moving forward.

How is Dallas Capital Bank attracting, retaining, and developing talent?

It’s absolutely a focus and a challenge. Most of our team members come from larger organizations, seeking more empowerment, a different culture, and the ability to respond to clients quickly and confidently. We’re proud that many of our top producers and executives have been with us since the beginning, but we know this is the most competitive banking market in the country. We must continue to focus on talent retention and development every day.

Dallas has become a financial hub, with companies like Goldman Sachs opening major offices here, making the competition for talent even tougher. Finding quality people is a limiting factor in our industry. Banking is a relationship business, and we often say clients choose their bank based on their relationship with their banker rather than the institution itself. The trust clients have in their banker to deliver is crucial.

While we’re always recruiting new talent, retaining and developing our existing team is equally important. Beyond competitive compensation, we focus on creating an environment where our bankers can thrive by giving them the tools, systems, and processes that make their jobs more efficient. Even when the answer to a client request is “no,” we ensure it’s a well-reasoned no, with alternatives provided. That’s how we create a culture where our team feels empowered and supported, and it’s key to both recruitment and retention.

What are some key deposit differentiators and technology innovations Dallas Capital Bank is implementing?

A critical component of our success is our alignment with our administrative and back-office teams, who play a vital role in maintaining and supporting client relationships. They understand the value of these relationships and work closely with us to resolve issues quickly and effectively.

What sets us apart is having our back-office support based locally here in Dallas, within our building. While many of our competitors have outsourced a significant portion of their back-office functions to other states or even overseas, we believe that keeping our team together locally is a major differentiator. It allows us to provide a higher level of service, speed, and responsiveness.

In terms of technology, we’ve made substantial investments in cloud-based banking systems and advanced treasury management solutions. These innovations are designed to enhance the client experience and streamline our internal operations. We focus on combining this cutting-edge technology with our high-touch, personalized service, which is central to our overall strategy.

What are the key priorities for Dallas Capital Bank over the next two to three years?

We are incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last nine years, but we’re even more optimistic about the future. Historically, Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth market have been the last to enter a recession and the first to recover, so we expect any potential downturn to be relatively shallow.

Over the next few years, our primary focus will be on continuing to serve our local market while exploring new strategic opportunities. We’re constantly listening to our clients to understand their evolving needs, and we’re working on several new initiatives, though we aren’t ready to announce them just yet. Ultimately, our goal is to keep generating value for our clients and expanding the services we offer based on their feedback and the market’s demands.