The Cleveland-based bank now has commercial lending teams in both markets, including a team it recently hired away from Huntington Bancshares.

The Cleveland-based bank took a hit from a large bond sale, leading to a quarterly loss. But net interest income rose, and the company expects that metric to hit a key milestone in the fourth quarter.

Brady has worked to make Key's tech team more diverse, which she sees as crucial to fostering innovation and new ideas.

Profits at Cleveland-based KeyCorp have suffered due to bonds it bought when interest rates were low. But a recent investment by Canada's Scotiabank gave Key more wiggle room — an early benefit of a deal that both companies hope to build on.

KeyCorp wasn't seeking capital but saw the benefits of Scotiabank's minority stake. The deal would enable the Canadian lender to step into the U.S. consumer market.

The Cleveland-based bank is projecting steady growth in net interest income even as credit losses remain manageable. But Chairman and CEO Chris Gorman also said that he thinks a recession is likely.

A year ago, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition accused KeyBank of redlining. On Wednesday, the NCRC and Key announced a $25 million "agreement" that NCRC CEO Jesse Van Tol says could open the door to a new community benefits plan.

The bank is launching KeyVAM, a virtual account management offering it designed with fintech Qolo. Both companies said the nature of the relationship was as important as the technology it produced.

The Cleveland-based regional bank is shedding credit risk in a partnership with the private equity giant Blackstone. It's the latest tie-up between asset managers and regional banks that are looking to free up balance-sheet capacity.

The Cleveland-based regional bank was not well positioned for the sharp rise in interest rates last year. But executives say the year ahead will be different, pointing to strong credit quality and a repricing of Key's securities portfolio.