Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Imagine business and functional leaders are asked to think differently about what could be. And then translate these insights into realistic actions.

South Carolina-based CertusBank attracted a half billions dollars in commitments to buy failed banks in the wake of the financial crisis. How the early high hopes have been dashed offers important lessons to the industry, regulators and outside investors.

The fate of housing finance reform hangs in the balance after the Senate Banking Committee delayed a vote on a bipartisan bill sponsored by senators Tim Johnson and Mike Crapo. American Banker editors discuss what's behind the delay and the likely next steps.

Banking is dominated by leaders who are straight, white and male, despite copious evidence that greater diversity at senior management levels improves companies' performance. American Banker editors discuss why diversity efforts are falling short at banks and regulatory agencies, and what executives can do to fix these problems.

Banks and financial companies must "remain vigilant" against data breaches and other threats, and "there's still a lot of work to be done" to get more cybersecurity help from the government, according to Financial Services Roundtable CEO Tim Pawlenty. In this interview, Pawlenty discusses how his trade group is working with banks, retailers, regulators and legislators to improve the industry's response to hacker attacks.

After decades of neglecting its credit card operations, Wells Fargo this week officially unveiled the new cards that it hopes will boost its consumer lending business. Credit card executive Beverly Anderson discusses the features and fees of the new Propel cards, how Wells plans to get ahead in the ultra-competitive card market and how her business is coping with increased regulation.

Banks are adding more stock to their top employees' compensation packages, according to executive recruiter Rod Taylor. That can help some bankers reap bigger payouts if they work for a company that is likely to get sold, although for some bankers, "cash is still king," Taylor says.

Chris Dancy, who has been designated the "world’s most connected human" and will be a keynote speaker at next week’s Digital Banking Summit, shares his thoughts on how banks can help their customers get value out of their own data, and where the line is between usefulness and creepiness.

Ally Bank CEO Barbara Yastine admits there’s a drawback to not having bricks and mortar — but it isn’t enough to make her regret not having branches under the Ally banner, which replaced the GMAC Bank brand five years ago this month. Yastine also discusses Know Your Customer standards and why the company is standing by its indirect auto finance model.

Financial Services Roundtable CEO Tim Pawlenty discusses the after-effects of Dodd-Frank, the need to find regulatory balance between providing protection and hindering economic activity, concerns over the Johnson-Crapo GSE reform proposal, and more.