KEYNOTE ADDRESS: A CEO’S PERSPECTIVE OF PRODUCTIVITY

Restoring or increasing productivity and profitability frequently involves difficult choices and painful reductions to staff, locations, and capabilities, particularly when revenues are flat to declining. Cathy Nash restored Citizens to profitability after 12 quarters of losses related to an acquisition and recession by making those difficult choices and restructuring her company. At the same time, she invested in the bank’s business banking and small business banking capabilities to retain customers and grow revenue.  She shares a CEO’s perspective of such choices and suggests strategies small business banking leaders can and should take with their CEOs to obtain funding and support needed to grow small business households and revenues.