Author: Al Dominick

I am the Chief Executive Officer of a privately-held company that provides data analysis, research and advisory services to the C-Suite and boards of financial and healthcare companies. For years, I have delighted in bringing in business, building relationships and getting difficult things done. Today, I am a bridge between key decision makers; for instance, the C-suite at both FinTechs and Banks. I regularly present on, speak to and write about emerging issues immediately relevant to executives & boards of directors. While my professional role as CEO certainly influences my writing, the views I share on my social sites reflect my own personal opinions.
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Bank Director’s 2015 Acquire or Be Acquired Conference

Banks are increasingly interested in the topic of mergers and acquisitions, which must have something to do with our record attendance at this year’s Acquire or Be Acquired Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The fun begins at The Phoenician (pictured above) this weekend with Bank Director’s 21st annual “AOBA.”  Last year, we welcomed 435 officers & directors from 271 financial institutions to the Arizona Biltmore.  This year, we have 522 bankers and bank board members from more than 300 banks in attendance. Merger activity is clearly gaining steam, and this is bringing more interested parties to the table.

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Three Days in the Desert

Why banks are bought (or sold) involves much more than just the numbers making sense.  Moreover, to successfully negotiate a merger transaction, buyers and sellers must bridge the gap between a number of financial, legal, accounting and social challenges. So allow me to sketch out what’s on tap for this massive three-day event.

On Sunday…

To kick things off, we take a macro-level look at capital markets and operating conditions for banks nationwide. Additionally, we look at how M&A fits within a broad range of strategic options for a bank’s board and how some successful acquirers have aligned transactions to achieve strategic goals.  Of note, we welcome the perspectives of CEOs from high performing banks like Pinnacle National Bank, Banner Corp., First Interstate BancSystem, IBERIABANK and CVB Corp. as part of several presentations. On stage, these men will share their thoughts on what it takes to build and lead successful institutions.

On Monday…

Building on the first day of the conference, we turn our attention to the long-term preparation required by both a buyer and seller.  For instance, regulatory planning remains critical to getting deals done for both sides — especially on compliance issues.  Thematically, Monday builds on Sunday’s presentations, with sessions dedicated to helping a bank’s board make a rational buy, sell or hold decision.

On Tuesday…

To put a bow on this year’s event, we start with a look at what the biggest banks are doing today followed by a series of breakout sessions on more in-depth topics.  To conclude, we welcome the perspectives of our friends from NASDAQ who will look at trends, issues and the “movers and shakers” in the technology world that may impact growth and innovation within the financial community.  As much as AOBA explores one’s financial growth opportunities, this final session examines what’s happening outside of our industry that may precipitate new changes or challenges to a bank’s growth aspirations.  Oh and in the afternoon… we swap suits for cleats, wrapping up AOBA with our annual golf tournament.

Can’t Make it?

For those not able to join us — but interested in following the conversations — I invite you to follow me on Twitter via @AlDominick, the host company, @BankDirector, and search & follow #AOBA15 to see what is being shared with our attendees.

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Spotlight on FinTech

If forced to pick but one industry that serves as a catalyst for growth and change in the banking space, my answer is “FinTech.” As NJ-based ConnectOne Bank’s CEO, Frank Sorrentino, opined late last week, “financial institutions today operate in a constant state of reevaluation… at the same time, low interest rates and a brand new tech-driven consumer landscape have further contributed to the paradigm shift we’re experiencing in banking.” After I shared “Three FinTech Companies I’m Keen On,” I was asked who else I am taking note of in the financial technology sector; hence today’s spotlight on three additional companies.

Yodlee_logo.svg

The fabric of the banking industry continues to evolve as new technology players emerge in our marketplace.  With banks of all sizes continuing to implement innovative technologies to grow their organizations, companies like Yodlee have emerged “at  the heart of a new digital financial ecosystem.”  The NASDAQ-listed company counts 9 of the 15 largest U.S. banks as customers along with “hundreds of Internet services companies.”  These companies subscribe to the Yodlee platform to power personalized financial apps and services for millions of consumers.  With thousands of data sources and a unique, cloud platform, Yodlee aspires to transform “the distribution of financial services.” It also looks to redefine customer engagement with products like its personal financial management (PFM) service, which pulls together all of a customer’s financial information from multiple accounts.

web-Logo-Malauzai@2x

Now, technology in the financial world encompasses a broad spectrum of tools. For most officers and directors, I have found conversations about what’s happening in this space naturally incites interest in mobile banking.  So let me turn my focus to Malauzai, a company I first learned of while talking with Jay Sidhu (*Jay is the former CEO of Sovereign where he grew the organization from an IPO value of $12 million to the 17th largest banking institution in the US… he is now CEO of the very successful Customer’s Bank).  This past spring, he talked about the benefits of working with the company that was formed in 2009 to “participate in the mobile banking revolution.”  Malauzai works with about 320 community banks and credit unions across the country, providing the tools needed to connect to a customer through smartphone applications.  Specifically, the company builds mobile banking “SmartApps” that run across mobile platforms (e.g. Apple and Android) and several types of devices from smart phones to tablets.

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Certainly, many FinTech companies have a laser-like focus on individual customer needs.  Case-in-point, Openfolio, a startup that “brings the principles and power of social networks – openness, connectivity, collective intelligence – to the world of personal investing” (h/t to Brooks and Gareth at FinTech Collective for sharing their story).  Openfolio’s premise: in our sharing economy, people will divulge investing ideas and “portfolios, in percentage terms, within their networks.”  Accordingly, Openfolio provides a place where investors share insights and ideas, and watch how others put them into action. As they say, “we all learn from each other’s successes (and mistakes).”  As reported in TechCrunch, the company doesn’t reveal dollar amounts folks have invested, preferring to reveal how much weight different categories have in an investor’s portfolio to reveal information about markets.

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Personally, it is very interesting to watch companies such as these spur transformation.  If you are game to share your thoughts on FinTechs worth watching, feel free to comment below about those companies and offerings you find compelling.

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Bank Director’s 2015 Acquire or Be Acquired Conference Primer

On Sunday, January 25, we kick off Bank Director’s 21st annual “Acquire or Be Acquired” Conference (@bankdirector and #AOBA15) at the luxurious Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I am so very excited to be a part of this three day event — and am supremely proud of our team that is gearing up to host more than 800 men and women.  With so many smart, talented and experienced speakers on the agenda, let me share a primer on a few terms and topics that will come up.  In addition, you will find several links to recent research studies that will be cited before I share one example of the type of issues being both presented and addressed at “AOBA.”

Colorful Language

Just as M&A is a colorful — and complex — issue, so too are the words, terms and considerations used by attorneys, investment bankers and consultants in management meetings, in the boardroom or at the negotiating table.  Here are three terms I thought to both share and define in advance of AOBA (ay-o-bah):

  • Triangular merger: This happens when the acquirer creates a holding company to acquire the target and both the acquirer and the target become subsidiaries of the holding company.
  • Cost of capital: You could say this is the cost to a company of its capital, but another way to look at it simply is this: the minimum return you need to generate for your investors, both shareholders and debt holders. This is what it costs you to operate and pay them back for their investment.
  • Fixed exchange ratio: This is the fixed amount for which the seller exchanges its shares for the acquirer’s shares. If the buyer’s stock price falls significantly post-announcement, that could mean the seller is getting significantly less value.

Again, these are but three of the many terms one can expect to hear when it comes to structuring, pricing and negotiating a bank merger or acquisition.

Research Reports

Throughout the year, our team asks officers and directors of financial institutions to share their thoughts on board-specific issues — like growth and more specifically, mergers & acquisitions.  Allow me to share an overview on these two research reports along with links to the full results:

Of note: 84% of the officers and board members who responded to this Growth Strategy Survey, sponsored by the technology firm CDW, say that today’s highly competitive environment is their institutions’ greatest challenge when it comes to organic growth — a challenge further exacerbated by the increasing number of challengers from outside the industry primed to steal business from traditional banks.

Of note: There’s no shortage of financial institutions seeking an acquisition in 2015, but fewer banks plan to sell than last year, according to the bank CEOs, senior officers and board members who completed Bank Director’s 2015 Bank M&A Survey, sponsored by Crowe Horwath LLP.

Valuing a Bank

Understanding what one’s bank is really worth today is hugely important.  Whether buying, selling or simply growing organically, a bank needs metrics in place to know and grow its valuation.  On BankDirector.com this past October, I shared why earnings are becoming more important than tangible book value (Why Book Value Isn’t the Only Way to Measure a Bank). Clearly, a bank that generates greater returns to shareholders is more valuable; thus, the emphasis on earnings and returns rather than book value.  Yes, investors and buyers will always use book value as a way to measure the worth of banks. Still, I anticipate conversations at the conference that builds on the idea that as the market improves and more acquisitions are announced, we should expect to see more attention to earnings and price-to-earnings as a way to value banks.

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Please feel free to comment on today’s piece below or share a thought via Twitter (I’m @aldominick).  More to come from the “much-warmer-than-Washingon DC” Arizona desert and Acquire or Be Acquired in the days to come.

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Three FinTech Companies I’m Keen On

It seems not a day goes by where I’m not coming across a story about Venmo.  Maybe I should thank holiday shoppers; more specifically, friends or family member that go in on a joint present for someone.  Rather than accept an IOU, the social payments company has made story titles like “Cash is For Losers!” en vogue by allowing its users to settle debts without cash or check.  So the company’s success had me exploring the world of FinTech and other companies worth taking a look at.  Here are three I’m keen on along with a short overview on what they offer.

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Wealthfront is an automated investment service with over $1 billion in client assets.  The Palo Alto-based company manages a “diversified, continually rebalanced portfolio of index funds” on behalf of its clients.” Their proposition: “Wealthfront takes the guesswork out of sound, long-term investing through effortless automation. Wealthfront manages a personalized online investment account for you that is fully diversified and periodically rebalanced – accessible anytime and anywhere from your desktop, tablet or phone.” For an individual, their service premise is quite attractive, given “the consistent and overwhelming research that proves index funds significantly outperform an actively managed portfolio.”

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I wrote about Kabbage last year (A Pop Quiz on the Future of Banking) as a platform for online merchants to borrow working capital. Per Time’s Business & Money site, “Kabbage financing resembles a line of credit in that customers only pay for what they use, but it isn’t a loan and doesn’t require merchants to use their personal assets as collateral. Rather, as with a business factor, a Kabbage financing is structured as a cash advance against future sales.”

dwolla-logo

Dwolla is a payment network that allows any business or person to send, request and accept money. As they say, they are “not like those other big payment companies that rely on plastic cards and charge hefty fees.” Instead, the company built its own network that “securely connects to your bank account and allows you to move money for just $0.25 per transaction, or free for transactions $10 or less.”

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I’m on record with my feelings that bank leaders have real and immediate opportunities to expand what banking means to individual and business customers by offering services that go beyond a traditional business model.  These three companies provide alternatives to traditional lines of business, and are just a few of the many that are working to create a “newer” normal for individuals and businesses.  If you are interested to share your thoughts on FinTechs worth watching, feel free to comment below about those companies you find compelling.

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Bank Director: A Year in Pictures (part 2)

Last week, I shared pictures from the first half of 2014 (Bank Director: A Year in Pictures — part 1).  Today, some of my favorite photos of our team from July through the end of this year.  Be it a board meeting in Jackson Hole, WY, FinTech Day at NASDAQ’s MarketSite in New York City or taking a trip to Pinewood Social in downtown Nashville when a fire knocked us out of our office, a pretty fun final six months.

Jackson Hole, WY — home of our summer board meeting
One of our board meetings (Jackson Hole, WY)
Why ask why (Jackson Hole, WY)
The team’s 4 year celebration? Don’t ask (Leiper’s Fork, TN)
I think I see lightning coming towards Jackson, WY
Confirming the winning team’s work (yes, Kaitlyn, we won)
Let’s get stuck on the tram!
I’m taking the back bowl back to Bill’s
NYC in Sept
Most of our senior team / © 2014, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
Kelsey signing off for the day / © 2014, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
My exec coach, Ronni, and me @ NASDAQ’s MarketSite
So proud of our team! © 2014, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
Closing time / © 2014, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
Kelsey and me © 2014, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
post-FinTech Day dinner in NYC
Pinewood Social post-office fire
Pinewood Social “Fire in the Building” HH
Mika is always posing for the camera!!!
Why am I not surprised?
Huntington Beach, CA to speak at a Moss Adams conference
A typical Kelsey session
Conferencing
Demo’ing the office
The old office
New office space
Our new office space
United Way Day
The unofficial ice cream of Bank Director
Team colors
Bank Director representing in DC

An early Happy New Year!

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Bank Director: A Year in Pictures (part 1)

As our team starts to settle into holiday routines, I thought to take a look back at the year we enjoyed.  If you’re not familiar with Bank Director, think about us in parallel to bigger brands like the Economist Group.  They publish a magazine, we publish a magazine.  They host conferences, we host conferences.  They conduct research, we conduct research.  They have a website and what do you know, so do we.  The parallels go on and on, and I like to think of both organizations as hugely influential.  The key difference? Rather than reach a broad audience with varying levels of skill and professional expertise, Bank Director focuses on issues fundamental to a bank’s CEO, senior leadership team, chairman and independent directors.   An information resource to the financial community since 1991, Bank Director’s reach to — and relationships with — a financial institutions’ leadership team is without equal thanks to our very talented team.  While we can dress up with the best of them, our culture is one that allows for real fun and shared experiences.  Here’s a look at some of what transpired in the first six months of the year.

Getting ready for our year of FinTech in Tulum, Mexico
The Arizona Biltmore – home to Bank Director’s 2016 Acquire or Be Acquired conference
Keycards
Great branding
Having fun with Jack on stage
Finally, a picture where I don’t have a super weird look on my face!
Team gifts, pre-AOBA
Getting things going
Kelsey is one happy camper #IMissTaylor
Jack + Mika… “deep thoughts”
The Veranda – set for lunch
Jack Milligan – our editor + the force behind this event
Taking in a Vandy game #SEC
A wonderful treat from our friends at the Ritz in New Orleans
Look what Robert won!
A classic BD wrap up
Keeping it classy in New Orleans
The team post-Growth conference
Selfies w/ Bank Director’s former associate publisher, John Cimba, and one of my 1st colleagues (starting in ’99), Jeff Davy. GLC will be proud.
A post-conference favorite in New Orleans
The Bean (aka Cloud Gate)
One of the bars our team likes in NYC
Post-AOBA custom Nikes
Catching up w/ one of my favorite social media friends, Crowe’s Jennifer Burke
Pre-Bank Audit & Risk Committees conference (one of my favorite pre-event pix)
Kelsey’s pay for the month of June
Michelle having fun at dinner in Chicago
Is that Naomi making an introduction “from the podium!”
The Palmer House was a challenge, but room-wise, very picturesque for this June’s Audit & Risk Committees conference in Chicago
#KelseyMadeMeDoIt

I’ll share more pictures from the 2nd part of our year next Tuesday.

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Be Proud Of The Past But Look To The Future

In Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge spends some quality time with the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet-to-Come.  Inspired by this holiday classic, and these decorative lights adorning Macy’s in New York City, today’s column mirror’s Dickens’ structure with three points on bank M&A, Capital One and Lending Club’s IPO..

Past: Three Bank M&A Deals You May Have Missed

Last week, my monthly M&A column posted on BankDirector.com (A Few Notable Deals You May Have Missed in 2014).  My premise: to successfully negotiate a merger transaction, buyers and sellers normally must bridge the gap between a number of financial, legal, accounting and social challenges. Couple this with significant barriers these days to acquiring another bank—such as gaining regulatory approval— and it’s no wonder that bigger financial deals remained scarce this year.

For as much digital ink as was spilled on BB&T Corp.’s $2.5-billion acquisition of Susquehanna Bancshares a few weeks ago, here are three deals worth noting from 2014: (1) Ford Financial plans to buy up to a 65 percent stake in Mechanics Bank, (2) Sterling Bancorp’s agreement to buy Hudson Valley and (3) United Bankshares completed acquisition of Virginia Commerce Bancorp.

Certainly, banking acquisitions like these three show a commitment to profitability and efficiency—and reflect solid asset quality and sound capital positions. There is more than one way to grow your bank and these banks are proving it.

Present: Catch the Digital Wave While You Can

A few days ago, the Washington Business Journal’s Mark Holan — @WBJHolan — wrote a very timely and relevant piece about Capital One’s Richard Fairbank, who says “the world won’t wait for banks to catch the digital wave.”  As Mark noted, Fairbank recently shared myriad thoughts at the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference in New York, opining:

“Banking is an inherently digital product… Money is digital. Banking is both about money and also about contracts about how money will be moved and managed. There is not a lot of physical inventory. This business is just crying out to be revolutionized and the world won’t wait.”

~Capital One’s CEO

Fairbank also cautioned the banking industry “has had a stunted and slowed evolution relative to the inherent nature of just how digital this product is” due to regulation, massive capital requirements, risk management issues, and other funding constraints.  He also said most banks are too focused on technology’s impact on physical branches or building the coolest app to satisfy customers.

Future: Why Lending Club’s IPO is Important

When it comes to financial innovation, many investors look outside the traditional banking space.  Take Lending Club, which touts itself as “America’s #1 credit marketplace, transforming banking to make it more efficient, transparent and consumer friendly. We operate at a lower cost than traditional bank loans and pass the savings on to borrowers in the form of lower rates and to investors in the form of solid returns.”  So I think their December 11th IPO on the NYSE is very important for bankers to take note of.

Much as Fairbank talks about transforming Capital One to match consumer’s digital demands, the firm stated in a pre-IPO filing that “borrowers are inadequately served by the current banking system.”  By positioning itself as the future of the lending business, it is not surprising to see entire columns dedicated to the the future of the company, as well as the future of the banking industry (see: The Death Of Banking: A LendingClub Story).  Feel free to draw your own conclusions, but certainly pay attention to upstart competitors like these.

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Giving Thanks for Great Leadership

We are getting close to that time of year when people start writing their top ten lists, providing year-in-review posts and taking out the proverbial crystal ball.  In this spirit, my post-Thanksgiving piece provides a list of bank CEOs I met this year that impressed me with both their bank’s performance & personal leadership styles.  From the outside looking in, I have to assume shareholders and employees alike appreciate what each has done for their organization.

A few days ago, David Reilly authored a piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Wanted: Dance Partners for Bank Merger Ball” (sorry, registration required).  Citing Bank Director’s annual M&A research report, he reminded us that it takes two to tango — and “that is still the issue for investors expecting, or hoping for, a significant pickup in bank merger activity in 2015.”  As we showed in our survey of about 200 bank directors and executives, 47% said they planned to purchase a healthy bank in the next 12 months — but 87% also said they had no intention to sell.  So a steady hand to lead an institution strikes me as imperative for those banks seeking growth through traditional, or acquisition-based, means.  This got me thinking…

Over the course of the year, I am lucky to meet Chief Executive Officers from all over the country.  To build on three posts from earlier this year (my “FI Tip Sheet: Some of Banking’s Best CEOs,” “FI Tip Sheet: Great Bank CEOs” and “FI Tip Sheet: The Top Women in Banking“) here, in no particular order, are nine community bank CEOs that made memorable impressions on me in 2014:

  • Jay Sidhu, the Chairman and CEO of Customers Bank, ran Sovereign Bank for nearly 20 years and started Customers Bank from scratch in ’97.  The bank has grown from its original five branches in the suburbs of Philadelphia to 14 offices in three states — Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Thanks to Jay’s disciplined approach to growth, Customers has seen its assets increase to $6.5 billion as of August 25.
  • Down in Texas, Scott Dueser, the Chairman, President & CEO at First Financial, embodies the concept of loyalty — to his employees, his customers and to the First Financial family as a whole (he’s been a part of it for more than 38 years).  Oh, and his bank placed first in the $5 billion to $50 billion asset category in Bank Director’s annual Bank Performance Scorecard — a ranking of the 200 largest publicly traded bank holding companies in the United States based on their 2013 financial data.
  • Up in RedSox country (sorry, CT might be a swing state between Yankees and RedSox fans, but the team from my home town is far superior), Bill Crawford leads United Financial Bancorp, the bank holding company for United Bank and Rockville Bank.  A $5 billion community bank founded in 1858 with 60 branches in New England, Bill’s determination to merge the two proverbial “equals” as seamlessly as possible reflects a real commitment to the combined teams, client bases and cultures.
  • Billed as the “bank for VCs and entrepreneurs,” Doug Bowers, the President & CEO at Square 1 Bank, oversees the NC-based bank with more then $1bn in assets.  As he shared, their focus on banking entrepreneurs and their investors is all that that they do.  Yes, it is 100% of their business.
  • Robin McGraw, embodies “intrapeneurship.”  The Chairman & CEO of Tupelo, MS-based Renasant Corporation, the parent of Renasant Bank, runs the 110-year-old financial services institution.  With approximately $5.8 billion in assets, Renasant operates more than 120 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Under Robin’s watch, the bank made in-sourcing their IT work a priority — which puts them in a favorably competitive position as the world becomes even more digital.
  • I know Daryl Byrd, President & CEO at IBERIABANK Corporation, sees quite a few potential deals cross his desk as he runs the oldest and largest bank headquartered in Louisiana.  The financial holding company operates 280 combined offices and successfully serves a niche commercial and private banking target audience.  Over the past few years, IBERIABANK has been held up as one of the better acquirers in terms of integrating a team/brand into its own — something they will do again with their recently announced acquisition of Old Florida Bancshares.
  • Any time I am able to spend time with Mike Fitzgerald, the Chairman, President & CEO at Bank of Georgetown in Washington, D.C., I come away inspired.  Being a local presence since 2005 — with a great reputation for growing organically — Mike and his team have quickly made this one of the best community banks in the Washington metropolitan area.
  • John Corbett, the President & CEO at CenterState Bank of Florida, runs one of the fastest growing community banks headquartered in the Sunshine State.  Founded in 1999, CenterState Bank has grown to nearly $4 billion in assets.  Just last month, John talked with us about the need to innovate or risk becoming stagnant and losing the ability to compete for exceptional talent.
  • In terms of taking risks, David Brooks, of Independent Bank Group in Texas, can share a story or two.  As I wrote for BankDirector.com in October (Deciding Whether to Sell or Go Public), David was one of the first to take a bank public following the financial crisis, guiding the bank’s 2012 IPO that raised $100 million at 2.2 times tangible book value. The company has announced eight acquisitions since 2010; most notably, with Bank of Houston in a deal that added more than $1 billion in assets to Independent Bank when the deal closed in April.
  • Finally, a tip of my hat to Leon Holschbach, the Vice Chairman, CEO and President of Midland States Bancorp. Leon stands out for his recruitment & retention efforts and has graciously shared how his company develops executives, attracts leadership and approaches compensation in our highly competitive and economically challenging world.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I realize there are many, many more leaders who deserve praise and recognition. Click the “+” button on the bottom right of this page to comment on this piece and let me know who else might be recognized for their leadership prowess.

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On Bank Branches and a Bank’s Brand

When I think about top performing banks, I typically consider those with the strongest organic growth in terms of core revenue, core noninterest income, core deposit growth and loan growth.  Sure, there has been a lot of talk about growing through acquisition (heck, last week’s post, “Seeking Size and Scale” looked at BB&T’s recent acquisitions and my monthly column on BankDirector.com was entitled “Why Book Value Isn’t the Only Way to Measure a Bank“).  But going beyond M&A, I’m always interested to dive into the strategies and tactics that put profits on a bank’s bottom line.

Build Your Brand or Build Your Branch

Earlier in the week, KBW’s Global Director of Research and Chief Equity Strategist, Fred Cannon, shared a piece entitled “Branch vs. Brand.”  As he notes, “branch banking in the U.S. is at an inflection point; the population per branch has reached a record level in 2014 and is likely to continue to increase indefinitely. The volume of paper transactions peaked long ago and with mobile payment now accelerating the need for branches is waning. As a result, many banks see closing branches as a way to cut costs and grow the bottom line. However, branches have served as more than transactional locations for banks. The presence of branch networks has projected a sense of identity, solidity and ubiquity to customers that has been critical to maintaining a bank’s brand.”  He then poses this doozy of a question:

“If branch networks are reduced, what is the replacement for a bank’s identity?”

Fred and his colleagues at KBW believe banks need to replace branches with greater investments in brand. As he shares, “some of this investment will be in marketing, (as) a brand is more than a logo. We believe banks will also need to invest in systems, people, and processes to project the sense of identity, solidity, and ubiquity that was projected historically by branch networks.”

United Bank, An Example of a High-Performing Bank

One example of a bank that I think is doing this well is United Bank.  On Wednesday, I had the chance to check out their new financial center in Bethesda, MD.  With dual headquarters in Washington, DC and Charleston, WV, the $12.1 billion regional bank holding company is ranked the 48th largest bank holding company in the U.S. based on market capitalization. NASDAQ-listed, they boast an astonishing 41 consecutive years of dividend increases to shareholders – only one other major banking company in the USA has achieved such a record.  Their acquisition history is impressive — as is their post-integration success.  United continues to outperform its peers in asset quality metrics and profitability ratios and I see their positioning as an ideal alternative to the offices Wells Fargo, SunTrust and PNC (to name just three) operate nearby.

A Universal Priority

Clearly, United’s success reflects a superior long-term total return to its shareholders.  While other banks earn similar financial success, many more continue to wrestle with staying both relevant and competitive today.  Hence my interest in Deloitte’s position that “growth will be a universal priority in 2015, yet strategies will vary by bank size and business line.”  A tip of the hat to Chris Faile for sharing their 2015 Banking Outlook report with me.  Released yesterday, they note banks may want to think about:

  • Investing in customer analytics;
  • Leveraging digital technologies to elevate the customer experience in both business and retail banking;
  • Determining whether or not prudent underwriting standards are overlooked; and
  • Learning from nonbank technology firms and establish an exclusive partnership to create innovation and a competitive edge.

With most banks exhibiting a much sharper focus on boosting profitability, I strongly encourage you to see what they share online.

Aloha Friday!

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Seeking Size and Scale

With Wednesday’s announcement that BB&T has a deal in place to acquire Susquehanna Bancshares in a $2.5 billion deal, I felt inspired to focus on the mergers & acquisitions space today.  You see, if 2013 was the year of the merger-of-equals (MOEs), it seems that 2014 has become the year of “seeking size and scale.”

As I’ve shared in past posts, 2013 was characterized by a series of well-structured mergers which produced a dramatic improvement in shareholder reaction to bank M&A.  For example, Umpqua & Sterling,  United Financial Bancorp & Rockville Financial and Bank of Houston & Independent Bank.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some pretty interesting transactions announced that are not MOEs; specifically, Sterling Bancorp buying Hudson Valley Holding in New York, Banner picking up AmericanWest Bank in the Pacific Northwest and the afore-mentioned BB&T deal.

Don’t Be Fooled, Size Matters

As evidenced by the Sterling and Banner acquisitions, the desire for scale and efficiencies is prompting certain institutions to expand.  While regulatory costs and concerns have been cited in previous years as deterents to a transaction, isn’t it interesting that both of these deals position the acquiring institution near the $10Bn threshold (*important as crossing this asset threshold invites new levels of scrutiny and expense).  But like John Thain suggested earlier this year, “the key is being big enough so that you can support all of the costs of regulation.”  Still, comments made by Richard Davis, chairman and chief executive of U.S. Bancorp, about the BB&T agreement should temper some enthusiasm about the biggest players jumping in to the M&A space a la the $185 Bn-in-size BB&T. “This is not a deal you’d ever see us do,” he said at conference in New York hosted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, adding “it’s both out-of-market and it’s fairly expensive.”

I’m Serious, It Matters?!?

Earlier this year, Deloitte published The Top Ten Issues for Bank M&A.  In light of the BB&T deal, it is worth revisiting.  To open, the authors opine “size matters when it comes to regulatory constraints on the banking sector: The bigger the players, the more restrictions on banking activities, including M&A. Banks with less than $10 billion in total assets face the least restriction, while the very largest Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs) experience the highest level of constraints. Among the major regulatory actions that are expected to hold considerable sway over bank M&A in 2014 are the Volcker Rule, Basel III capital requirements, global liquidity rules, stress testing, and anti-money laundering (AML) and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance laws.”

Who I’m Taking to Buy a Lottery Ticket

Finally, a tip of the hat to Frank Cicero, the Global Head of Financial Institutions Group at
Jefferies. He reminded me on Wednesday that every prediction he made in a piece he wrote for BankDirector.com at the beginning of the year has come to pass…fewer MOE’s, bigger premiums, regional banks returning to bank M&A.  Personally, I’m wondering if he wants to walk into the lotto store with me this weekend?

Aloha Friday!

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This Week in Pictures (and Videos)

As I wrap up the week, let me take a look back at Bank Director’s annual Bank Executive & Board Compensation conference vis-a-vis video recaps and a gallery of pictures from the Swissotel Hotel in Chicago.

Video Recaps

If you’re curious for a <90 second summary of our time in the Windy City, take a read at what I wrote on Monday (Does Anyone Want To Work At A Bank?) or Tuesday (Trending at #BDComp14) and check out these two videos. The first, of our talented editor Jack Milligan; the second, my two cents.

Picture Time

Welcoming folks to Chicago
Early arrivals
Jack and I welcoming folks in
Mika is always posing for the camera!!!
Nice shoes
First Financial’s dynamic CEO
A look to the right side of the stage
Sharing a laugh w/ some of our panelists
Jack Milligan, Bank Director’s Silver Fox
A pop of color
Winding down
Strong Board, Strong Bank

Aloha Friday!

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A 90 Second Look at the ‘Innovation Requirement’ Facing Banks Today

While the larger banks in the U.S. continue to increase in size, many community banks are fighting for survival in today’s regulatory and low-interest rate environment.  Here is one key takeaway from yesterday’s Bank Executive & Board Compensation Conference.

Up next?  Pictures on Friday from the conference.