In an industry of more and more specialists, the chief operating officer is a jack-of-all-trades. But the title has different meanings for different banks. Some COOs help craft strategy, others just implement strategy. Some are CEOs-in-waiting, others stay in the background. We asked COOs about their role, M&A's effects on job security, and how they interact with CEOs.

In June, SourceMedia Research — an affiliate of American Banker — conducted a survey of 52 chief operating officers and other operations executives on a range of topics, including COOs' top priorities and what they think will be their future role. The data suggests COOs are concerned with regulatory trends and security threats and view themselves as change agents. Many aspire to one day become a CEO. Here are some data snapshots.

The private equity firm GTCR is interested in fintech companies looking to disrupt the status quo, so long as they have proved themselves and are paired with managers who have a long track record of success.

Provident Financial Services in Iselin, N.J., reported relatively flat quarterly results as lower fees offset loan growth.

Carver Bancorp in New York is dealing with a new set of challenges just months after being released from a longstanding enforcement order. The company’s woes highlight the challenges for banks with narrowly constrained business models.

The popular German digital startup Fidor Bank has agreed to be acquired by Groupe BPCE, the second-largest French bank.

Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Wash., reported higher quarterly profits that reflected increased lending.

CCB, the parent of the $1.3 billion-asset Country Club Bank, recently announced that it had absorbed Capital Corp. in Lenexa, Kan. CCB did not disclose the price.

TFS Financial in Cleveland posted a double-digit profit increase in the quarter that ended June 30 thanks to a combination of improved credit quality and lower expenses.

Pokémon Go has taken the U.S. by storm, to put it mildly. For an app that was released very recently, it already has more users than Twitter and is beating Facebook on daily engagement.

The Federal Housing Administration is promoting a particular kind of financing for residential energy retrofits that another regulator staunchly opposes. Mortgage lenders and investors have qualms, too, about the impact on their standing in collateral claims.

Regulators' recent warnings on emerging risks with commercial real estate indicate banks have reverted to CRE practices that got them in hot water once before.

Stonegate Bank in Pompano Beach, Fla., could be getting close to announcing another acquisition.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

An enforcement action related to anti-money-laundering compliance once again forced The Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., to report a quarterly loss.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's debt collection plan is likely to put pressure on banks and first-party creditors to provide better documentation on consumer debts that get transferred to debt buyers and collectors. While the proposal does not cover banks and first-party creditors, some experts said banks will be on the hook for providing better information.

Green Bancorp in Houston has resolved $37 million in energy loans since deciding to get out of that business.

Middleburg Financial in Virginia, which recently faced criticism from its biggest investor, has a new chairman.

BB&T Corp., North Carolina's second-largest lender, is cutting jobs in its securities unit while scaling back institutional equity sales and trading activity.

The popular German digital startup Fidor Bank has agreed to be acquired by Groupe BPCE, the second-largest French bank.