CBA Prepares To Welcome Executive Banking School Students Back To Furman University

After several years of being held virtually, CBA’s renowned Executive Banking School (EBS) is preparing to welcome more than 300 bankers to the campus of Furman University in Greenville, SC, July 24 – August 3, 2022. CBA’s President & CEO, Lindsey Johnson, today released the following statement recognizing the upcoming start of EBS and the importance of the program in developing the future leaders of retail banking:

“For more than seventy years, CBA’s Executive Banking School (EBS) has played in an integral role in educating the next generation of diverse banking leaders. This immersive program offers bankers a deep understanding and appreciation of how various segments of retail banking are interrelated and the ability to develop meaningful friendships with bankers from other institutions around the country. After several years of being held virtually, we’re especially excited to welcome more than 300 students back on campus for the return of in-person learning in just a few short weeks.

“As the banking landscape rapidly evolves, the need to develop capable and strategic leaders of the future has never been greater. EBS is the premier advanced education program for bankers and is core to CBA’s mission of ‘preparing the next generation of diverse bankers to lead the industry.’ I look forward to experiencing my first EBS since assuming the role of President & CEO and remain fully committed to advancing its mission for years to come.”

Engaging Curriculum

EBS provides rising stars in the industry with the critical skills they need to propel them into more complex leadership opportunities. EBS graduates leave with improved Executive Leadership Capabilities (ELCs), including:

• Strategic Leadership
• Financial & Risk Acumen
• Market & Customer Insight
• Collaboration & Influencing

93% of the faculty are full-time bankers representing various leadership positions across their banks. For 10 days over the course of three years, students will learn:

• Year 1 – Head of Retail Perspective: Focusing on how to manage the retail segment of a bank. This includes sessions on acquiring, segmenting and retaining customers, designing and price products, and effectively tailoring marketing messages.
• Year 2 – CFO & CRO Perspective: Focusing on concepts for managing a bank’s profitability. This includes sessions on analyzing financial data to measure future performance and how to assess and manage risk.
• Year 3 – CEO Perspective: Focusing on managing a bank from the top down. This includes sessions on how to consider analysts’ recommendations, structure a merger, and evaluate key economic indicators.

Additionally, 2022 EBS students will hear directly from:

• John Asbury, CEO of Atlantic Union Bank, on leading a mid-sized regional bank through an increasingly competitive banking landscape also contending with M&A.
• CBA Board Member Cassandra McKinney, Head of the Retail Bank at Comerica, on her experience navigating continued headwinds posed by the ongoing war for talent.
• David Turner, CFO, and George Buchanan, EVP & Chief Risk Officer at Regions Bank, on driving shareholder value while also delivering on the bank’s strategy of meeting customer demand through new digital investments.
• Mac Thompson, President, and Bob Kottler, Chief Revenue Officer at White Clay on the impact artificial intelligence (AI) and fintechs are having on the industry and how banks can leverage AI as a tool to build greater customer relationships.

EBS 2022 Fast Facts

• Across years 1-3, students will represent 39 banks
• The average student will have 13 years of banking experience
• U.S. Bank will represent the largest share of students
• More students will come Ohio than any other state
• Women will compose nearly half of the entire student body

A History Of Excellence

Alumni from CBA’s Executive Banking School have gone on to become leaders within the industry. Some notable graduates include:

• Andy Harmening – 2006 – Associated Bank – President & CEO
• Todd Barnhart – 2008 – PNC – EVP & Retail Distribution Executive
• Archie Brown – 1996 – First Financial – President & CEO
• Quincy Miller – 2004 – Eastern Bank – President & Vice Chairman
• Cassandra McKinney – 1998 – Comerica – EVP, Head of the Retail Bank
• Lori Von Heyking – 2018 – Woodforest – EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer
• Wayne Akins – 1992 – Chief Community Banking Officer, Synovus
• Richard Bynum – 2012 – EVP & Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, PNC
• Mark Pregmon – 1997 – Head of Credit Operations, USAA
• Seth Waller – 2012 – Chief Credit Officer, TIAA
• Mary Kate Loftus – 2013 – EVP, Director of Digital Banking, M&T
• Ali Maher – 2012 – Head of Business Checking, American Express

Additional Resources

• To learn more about the 2022 EBS Curriculum, click HERE.
• To learn more about the history of EBS and the program’s 70th anniversary last year, click HERE.
• To learn more about the 2021 EBS graduating class, click HERE.
• To read a collection of testimonials from EBS graduates who have utilized the skills they learned in the program to become distinguished executives within their banks, click HERE.

If you are interested in speaking with CBA President & CEO Lindsey Johnson, members of the faculty, or students attending the 2022 Executive Banking School, please contact Billy Rielly at brielly@consumerbankers.com