Corporate governance

Five years after the pandemic forced banks to switch to online annual meetings, shareholders are growing frustrated by the lack of in-person options. Some wonder if they'll ever again be in the same room as boards and management teams.

The Connecticut-based community bank announced a raft of new board and executive appointments, giving shape to a new strategy aimed at winning more business from high-net-worth individuals.

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax hopes investors will endorse its plan to refocus on basic community banking after shuttering its embedded banking unit. But a prominent shareholder is urging management to sell.

Shareholder support for KeyCorp's executive compensation packages fell to 63% from 89% last year. Proxy advisory firms had recommended a "no" vote after the Cleveland-based bank made off-cycle awards to top executives.

The Pennsylvania company spent the last five years adding lines of business, cleaning up its balance sheet and leveling up its technology. This year, Customers needs to churn out consistent earnings to prove that the investments were worth the costs.

Richmond, Virginia-based Atlantic Union is still integrating its recent acquisition of Sandy Spring Bank in Maryland. But CEO John Asbury has already begun plotting a new expansion course.

The Dallas-based company's broker-dealer arm, Texas Capital Securities, has also made several recent hires as it continues to expand its capabilities.

While other European-based banks have retreated from the United States, Santander is doubling down by building out its nationwide digital-banking platform. "Unequivocally," said U.S. CEO Christiana Riley, "the opportunity … is so clear."