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navigate.jpgRecently, Bank Director and the American Banker presented the 2nd annual America’s Bank Board Symposium tailored to provide bank boards with the knowledge to develop, implement, and monitor strategies for their institutions. Several key industry speakers joined CEOs, board members and experienced financial leaders in Dallas to help navigate the sea of challenges facing bank directors today.

On the heels this event, I had the chance to catch up with one of the presenters, Susan O’Donnell, Managing Director with Pearl Meyer & Partners, an independent compensation consulting firm, to further explore her insights on what she believes are the top three issues concerning directors. Below is what she shared with me via email:

1. Responding to a Rapidly Changing Regulatory Environment
New regulations and requirements are coming at bank directors at an unprecedented pace, particularly in the last decade. Whether Sarbanes Oxley, recent banking regulatory agency guidance on risk assessment of incentive compensation practices, or new proxy disclosure requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act – there is a much greater need for board members to keep up with the rapid and constantly changing regulatory environment. This is particularly true of public banks that now have to meet even more disclosure requirements.

2. Understanding Changing Executive Compensation Trends, Including the Role of Risk Management
Keeping informed of the emerging best practices has also become a major challenge, as boards today must ensure their executive compensation practices reflect sound risk management, pay-for-performance alignment and align with shareholder interests. Board members (particularly compensation committee members) need to adapt their institution’s compensation practices, where appropriate, to reflect the new regulations and emerging best practices, while continuing to support their unique compensation philosophy.

What was ‘acceptable’ practice several years ago might be considered inappropriate today. For example, incentive compensation programs that place significant (or sole) focus on profits and top line growth may be perceived as potentially diverting banks’ focus on safety and soundness. Regulators are reviewing incentive plans with a new “set of glasses” and board must also review their executive compensation programs through these new lenses.

Severance/change in control benefits are also changing in response to increased scrutiny and transparency. Provisions such as the gross-up payments to cover the taxes to the executive under certain situations used to be common several years ago, but are no longer considered appropriate. And companies that continue to put such provisions in place with new contracts will come under increased pressure from shareholders and shareholder advisory groups, potentially impacting future Say on Pay votes. Boards need to be aware of these changing perspectives and the potential reaction from regulators and shareholders.

As executive compensation is under increased pressure, boards need to be ready to respond to the new level of scrutiny. More importantly, they will need to articulate their own compensation philosophy and develop programs that address their own unique needs, rather than chase historical market practice, which in many cases is no longer applicable or appropriate.

3. Responding to Increased Transparency, Disclosure and Shareholder Influence
The new disclosure requirements, starting in 2006 and culminating with many new requirements enacted through the Dodd-Frank Act, are placing a greater spotlight on executive compensation (and governance) practices. With a brighter light comes increased scrutiny.

With Say on Pay, shareholders will have an opportunity to vote their approval (or disapproval) of bank compensation programs. While non-binding, the votes will be public information, subject to media scrutiny. As such, boards will need to listen and be prepared to adapt or change in response to the feedback they receive.  It is critical that boards today focus on ensuring their proxy disclosure effectively communicates their compensation philosophy, programs, decisions, rationale for decisions and pay –performance alignment.

Boards will also need to know and understand their shareholders better. Say on Pay, Proxy Access and the loss of the Broker vote will increase shareholders’ influence on compensation programs and banks should be prepared for this new level of transparency and disclosure.

The Characteristics of Success

With all the new regulations and increased scrutiny within the financial industry, I was curious to know what characteristics would separate the winning banks from the losing ones over the next five years. O’Donnell highlighted these top three traits that she recommends bankers will need to make it through this period of reform:

1. Adaptability: Bank boards will need to be responsive to all the changes going on in the industry, including the new economic, business and regulatory requirements.

2. Leadership: Boards that exercise strong leadership as they navigate the bank through challenging times will more than likely come out on the winning side.

3. Focused: Boards must have clearly defined goals and strategies, knowing what needs to be done to execute them effectively.

One thing I’ve learned very quickly since joining Bank Director is that these are without a doubt some of the most challenging times the U.S. banking industry has experienced in quite some time. But with knowledge, flexibility and effective execution, I am confident that smart bankers will continue to excel at growing their financial institutions.

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