Ron Hansen, former Iowa Superintendent of Banking and chair of Liberty Trust & Savings Bank, Durant, Iowa, has been presented with the Iowa Bankers Association’s James A. Leach Leadership Award. Hansen’s recognition was announced Sept. 24 at the IBA annual convention in Des Moines. [Continue]
Even in a robust economy, there are credit-worthy borrowers who cannot get a loan for their business or a mortgage to buy a home. David Saber, chair and CEO of Park Financial Group, sees these credit anomalies as opportunities, and with a supportive owner, he’s building a nimble banking organization. [Continue]
Amazon has totally transformed the retail landscape, including the supply chain and expectations of customers who want things immediately. Bankers trying to differentiate in a crowded marketplace are increasingly committing themselves to a service standard that clears the Amazon baseline. [Continue]
As chief operations officer of Park State Bank, Duluth, Minn., Leann Stessman oversees daily operations along with the integration processes that follow an acquisition. This includes its “ultra touch” approach, which models itself after Amazon Prime: “The team is very focused on making things as easy as possible for clients…we just show up.” [Continue]
Bremer’s new brand is the culmination of a two-year dive into self-reflection, said CEO Jeanne Crain. The process started as Bremer explored how to move into the future, asking, “What’s the right strategy? What’s the right focus for our team? And, how do we invest our capital wisely? [Continue]
Dwight R. Larsen has been named president and CEO of United Bankers’ Bank, Bloomington, Minn., along with its holding company, United Bankers’ Bancorporation, Inc. Larsen has more than 30 years of experience in bank management, regulatory affairs and education. [Continue]
There is a distinction being made now between customer service and customer experience, or CX. The former involves interactions with your people while the latter refers to customers’ holistic encounters with your brand. Some companies spend big money and years of study to create a brand designed to deliver memorable CX. Yet investments meant to deliver on CX are destined to fail without a highly-trained workforce. Everything hinges on those people skills! [Continue]
Icon of Nebraska community banking and longtime figure in Washington, D.C., regulatory circles, Andrew C. “Skip” Hove Jr., died in Lincoln, Neb., on August 18. He was 84. [Continue]
The person best suited to lead a systemically important financial institution would likely fit a complex profile. But what of the community bank and its leadership needs? Should community bank boards be any less prescriptive when creating a profile for a next-generation leader? [Continue]
There’s a proverb that goes: A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. I connect this idea to community banking, where each day, bankers make investments in the form of loans, which is really about planting the seeds (and seedlings) for economic growth. [Continue]