Maura Markus
President and Chief Operating Officer, Bank of the West
Perhaps it is a manifestation of Maura Markus' get-things-done attitude that new technology and products are rolling out so quickly at Bank of the West these days.
From the six weeks it took to ready a new checking account offering to a cutting-edge mobile banking app launched in just nine months, Markus makes a point of emphasizing speed.
Of course, outstanding results are a priority too, and she is not falling short in that regard either. The Premier Relationship Checking that the bank introduced in July 2012 offers benefits like higher interest rates and waived fees, and it did an excellent job of attracting deposits. The account is so popular that more than 2,000 a month were opened in the second half of last year.
Redesigning the digital experience is another major initiative being led by Markus, a Citigroup veteran who joined San Francisco-based Bank of the West three years ago. She says the first-quarter launch of an app with a quick-balance feature helped set the bank apart and addresses what consumers say is their top mobile pain point-easy access to account balances. Now the number of active mobile users has spiked sharply, and half of those who use quick balance do so daily.
