Practice and client management

A deal to bring Coulee Dam FCU into the fold will expand the Spokane, Wash.-based credit union's branch network while providing a wider array of technologies to the former CDFCU members.

Barry Orr, who formed FirstBank & Trust of Texas in the 1990s, continued to run the bank after selling it to Heartland Financial USA in 2018.

Ellison-Taylor, an expert in technology and finance and former chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is the second Black woman and fourth person of color on the Minneapolis bank's board.

The Georgia company increased its target for annual expense cuts and new revenue to $175 million from $100 million. But executives warned that low interest rates and weaker mortgage volume, along with a need to invest in technology, will delay some of the bottom-line benefits.

The Bridgewater, N.J.-based credit union promoted Frank Almeida to president and CEO, the final step in process it began when he was hired in 2014.

Intensifying competition from banks could persuade large credit unions — particularly those with more than $1 billion of assets — to join forces in 2021.

Small businesses still process a large number of transactions and can fall behind if there are delays, says Valtatech's Jussi Karjalainen.

The companies are reacting to an ongoing shift in customer preferences to digital channels.

The Maryland company agreed to improve its risk and compliance controls, estimating that it will cost $2 million to make changes.

Amerant Mortgage includes several former bankers from City National Bank of Florida in Miami.

Nitin Mhatre, who ran Webster's consumer and business banking operations, will become the company's third CEO in less than three years.

The Louisiana company has agreed for the second time to acquire Cheaha Financial Group in Alabama.

The Iowa-based institution hopes the funds can help narrow the racial homeownership gap in the state, which is believed to be among the worst in the nation.

Truist, First National Bank of Omaha and Peoples Bank in Washington state are finding creative ways for loan officers, financial advisers and others to become ambassadors on platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

The Minnesota credit union's deal for Brainerd Savings & Loan comes about 11 months after it bought Neighborhood National Bank in Minnesota.

Flush with capital from issuing subordinated debt, Peapack-Gladstone is exploring acquisitions in Florida and New York in an effort to generate more fee revenue.

Mergers and acquisitions were largely on ice in 2020, but banks' mounting need to control expenses and invest heavily in technology could spur a comeback this year.

Amaryllis Fox, former CIA Clandestine Service Officer, offers powership insights into leadership lessons gained from serving in conflicts across the globe. Using experiences from her overseas operations she will provide an inside look at the CIA’s practice of “red-teaming,” and how this practice can help negotiations and resolve conflicts, build empathy, and empower teams to work together.

Pandemic-induced shifts in how people work and bank will allow the Tennessee company to shed more branches and office space. It now projects it will slash expenses by an additional $30 million a year.