Login to Bank Services

Enter your email address and password below to gain access.

To login to the Online Training Series, please click here.

Bank M&A
12/25/2025

How Often Should Your Board Discuss M&A?

With bank merger activity on the upswing, boards should make a regular practice of discussing M&A — even if they have no merger ambitions for their institution.

Close
About the authors
Written by
Laura Alix Director of Research

Laura Alix is the Director of Research at Bank Director, where she collaborates on strategic research for bank directors and senior executives, including Bank Director’s annual surveys. She also writes for BankDirector.com and edits online video content. Laura is particularly interested in workforce management and retention strategies, environmental, social and governance issues, and fraud. She has previously covered national and regional banks for American Banker and community banks and credit unions for Banker & Tradesman. Based in Boston, she has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree from CUNY Brooklyn College.

Laura Alix
Director of Research
Bank M&A activity appears poised to accelerate in 2026, and every bank board ought to discuss the prospect of a merger — even if its ultimate preference is to remain independent and grow organically.  But how often should the board engage in those discussions? What should those discussions cover? And when is it the right time to bring in an outside opinion?  “The frequency of discussion should really be dictated by what’s happening in the marketplace,” says Bill Herrell, executive vice president and managing director who leads board advisory services at Bank Director. “To say that you want [to discuss…

YOU HAVE ACCESSED A RESOURCE THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO OUR BANK SERVICES MEMBERS.

From how-to articles, director training videos, key interviews with industry leaders and more, Bank Services provides bank executives and directors with the tools to help grow their financial institutions. To sign up for exclusive access to this online bank board resource, please contact Bank Services at 615-777-8461 or [email protected].

WRITTEN BY

Laura Alix

Director of Research

Laura Alix is the Director of Research at Bank Director, where she collaborates on strategic research for bank directors and senior executives, including Bank Director’s annual surveys. She also writes for BankDirector.com and edits online video content. Laura is particularly interested in workforce management and retention strategies, environmental, social and governance issues, and fraud. She has previously covered national and regional banks for American Banker and community banks and credit unions for Banker & Tradesman. Based in Boston, she has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree from CUNY Brooklyn College.