While diverse hiring practices and an awareness of the growing demographic shift within the U.S. has lessened the gap between minority and non-minority bankers in the past several years, there’s still work to be done, particularly when it comes to including minority bankers in decision making processes. [Continue]
Banks need to hone a distinctive, high-quality product or characteristic that sets them apart in order to stay independent, according to Craig Dahl, president and CEO of TCF Financial Corporation. Addressing attendees at the Bank Holding Company Association’s fall seminar, Dahl identified four areas to focus on: products, diversification, technology and cyber. [Continue]
Leadership of the Iowa Legislature gathered for a panel discussion at the 133 rd annual convention of the Iowa Bankers Association. Meeting at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines on Sept. 24, credit union competition dominated the conversation among five elected officials, all Republicans. [Continue]
Former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, a JFK Profiles in Courage Award winner and twice recognized by Forbes magazine as the “second most powerful woman in the world,” called on the U.S. Department of Education to do more to help college students understand the cost of borrowing. [Continue]
Keynote speaker Jack Mackey opened the 2019 DCI annual bankers conference on Sept. 16 with stories from a British bank and a fast food restaurant that provided insights into great customer relationships. [Continue]
Prioritizing industry advocacy efforts and mentoring the next generation of community bankers tops the lists of priorities for Bernie Gaytko, newly elected chair of the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota. [Continue]
The importance of mentorship and women helping other women in their careers was a key refrain offered by a panel of three veteran female bankers recently. Mary Kay Bates, president and CEO of Bank Midwest, Spirit Lake, Iowa; Laurie Nordquist, lead regional president for the Upper Midwest for Wells Fargo, and Del Mari Runck, chief operating officer for Neighborhood National Bank, St. Cloud. [Continue]
The sometimes painful process of bank ownership succession planning was highlighted at the recent Nebraska Bankers Association annual convention by a panel of CEOs who became new owners when presented with the opportunity by previous owners. [Continue]
As the incumbent provider of financial services, banks are well positioned to keep customers despite behavioral preferences which trend digital. This is true even for community banks that have struggled to afford digital solutions. The community banking model is, after all, built on relationships first. [Continue]
Liquidity, particularly in banks dependent upon ag loans, and security issues top the list of concerns among regulators who spoke at a recent event hosted by the Bank Holding Company Association in Kansas City, Mo. [Continue]