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The Slant is Bank Director’s e-newsletter distributed to over 24,000 senior bank executives, directors and thought leaders each week. Each newsletter provides inspirational ideas, new insights and challenging perspectives on the banking industry from experts featured on BankDirector.com.
David Findlay, chairman and CEO of $6.9 billion Lakeland Financial Corp., in Warsaw, Indiana, doesn’t give his executive team personality tests. On a recent Bank Director webinar, he said he wouldn’t be the CEO if someone had given him a personality test earlier in his career. That skepticism about personality tests is common in the banking industry.
The federal government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history on Wednesday, surpassing the prior record of 35 days in 2018-19. Americans are feeling the pain. Government food assistance stalled this week for more than 40 million, straining food banks. Roughly 1.4 million federal workers have been furloughed or worked without pay since early October, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Banks, it seems, are training their examiners. One respondent to Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey said: “Our bank seems to get green regulators, and we are their training ground.” At conferences, we continue to hear community bankers complain of novices in the federal agencies asking weird questions or needing basic banking concepts explained.
There’s a trend on social media called the “Coinstar Challenge,” a test to see how many coins the self-service kiosks will accept in exchange for larger-denomination bills. In one video, a man hauled 120,000 pennies to a machine in a red wheelbarrow. He’ll soon find it harder to replicate the stunt. In February, President Trump directed the U.S. Treasury to stop producing the penny due to its production costs.
The passage this year of the GENIUS Act raised the stakes for banks by creating a regulatory framework for potential competition — a fast and cheaper way to move money using stablecoin backed by the U.S. dollar.
On Monday, Dallas-based Comerica announced it would sell to Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bancorp, a deal that’s expected to create a roughly $288 billion institution in the first quarter.
At Bank Director, we often put job candidates through a grueling process. It’s not uncommon to go through four or more rounds of interviews. That might be overkill, but when it comes to hiring good candidates, it takes time to find someone who has not just the skill sets but the qualities we’re looking for in a colleague.
Who does your CEO go to for advice? In a survey of 90 current and former CEOs by the Corporate Governance Research Initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Business, 82% said they relied on a network of friends, acquaintances and former colleagues for feedback, according to its 2025 CEO Coaching and Kitchen Cabinet Survey.
Mergers of equals are famously hard to get right. But they can work in certain circumstances.
In a period of growing margin pressure and ongoing bank consolidation, mid-sized financial institutions are under pressure to modernize while carefully managing risk. In this webinar, PwC explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent automation can be responsibly applied to enhance operational efficiency and support long-term resilience. Gain insights into governance and oversight models, and how to align IT, risk, finance and HR to support an integrated transformation.
Fraud is a rising threat as criminals get smarter and leverage technology to trick customers and their institutions. We’ll dive into fraud trends and what banks are doing to mitigate the threat, with a webinar moderated by Bank Director’s Executive Editor Jackie Stewart.
Discover the critical role of strategic planning in driving organizational success. In this webinar, learn why boards should play a strong role in the strategic planning process, and how they can shape a clear, actionable vision that aligns with the organization’s mission and objectives.
Bank Directors’ Acquire or Be Acquired Conference is the financial industry’s premier growth and strategy conference for bank CEOs, senior executives and board members, providing senior leadership teams with numerous opportunities to meet and network with peers who are interested in exploring growth opportunities, strategic initiatives and business partnerships.
The Bank C-Suite Summit is an exclusive conference designed for senior bank executives seeking comprehensive insights into bank operations and new growth strategies. During the event, attendees gain valuable knowledge and strategic tools to navigate the dynamic banking industry landscape.
The Corporate Governance Workshop is Course I in Bank Director’s Certification Program. Throughout the workshop, attendees are provided with a thorough grounding in corporate governance and important industry issues that greatly enhance the performance of individual directors.
Bank Board Forum is the meeting ground for bank leaders to acquire and discuss emerging strategies and solutions for today’s evolving landscape. From successful board training and compensation best practices to audit and risk insights, this year’s Bank Board Forum explores topics related to all areas of a bank’s board and committees.
Bank Director’s Bank Audit & Risk Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Offering practical industry solutions regarding pressing audit and risk issues facing bank leaders today, these topical sessions are part of a new comprehensive event. From cybersecurity threats to regulatory scrutiny, the Bank Board Forum provides the tools and insights you need to protect your institution and drive growth.
The Bank Compensation & Talent Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Dive into the latest strategies for recruiting, developing and compensating top talent. Gain firsthand insights into the innovative approaches and best practices being used by successful banks to build and maintain high-performing teams at this year’s Forum.
Each of Bank Director’s Chief Executive Exchanges is designed to bring together a small group of bank CEOs from across the country to discuss strategic matters most pressing to banks today in a closed-door, off-the-record setting.
In a period of growing margin pressure and ongoing bank consolidation, mid-sized financial institutions are under pressure to modernize while carefully managing risk. In this webinar, PwC explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent automation can be responsibly applied to enhance operational efficiency and support long-term resilience. Gain insights into governance and oversight models, and how to align IT, risk, finance and HR to support an integrated transformation.
Discover the critical role of strategic planning in driving organizational success. In this webinar, learn why boards should play a strong role in the strategic planning process, and how they can shape a clear, actionable vision that aligns with the organization’s mission and objectives.
Bank Directors’ Acquire or Be Acquired Conference is the financial industry’s premier growth and strategy conference for bank CEOs, senior executives and board members, providing senior leadership teams with numerous opportunities to meet and network with peers who are interested in exploring growth opportunities, strategic initiatives and business partnerships.
The Bank C-Suite Summit is an exclusive conference designed for senior bank executives seeking comprehensive insights into bank operations and new growth strategies. During the event, attendees gain valuable knowledge and strategic tools to navigate the dynamic banking industry landscape.
Bank Board Forum is the meeting ground for bank leaders to acquire and discuss emerging strategies and solutions for today’s evolving landscape. From successful board training and compensation best practices to audit and risk insights, this year’s Bank Board Forum explores topics related to all areas of a bank’s board and committees.
Bank Director’s Bank Audit & Risk Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Offering practical industry solutions regarding pressing audit and risk issues facing bank leaders today, these topical sessions are part of a new comprehensive event. From cybersecurity threats to regulatory scrutiny, the Bank Board Forum provides the tools and insights you need to protect your institution and drive growth.
The Bank Compensation & Talent Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Dive into the latest strategies for recruiting, developing and compensating top talent. Gain firsthand insights into the innovative approaches and best practices being used by successful banks to build and maintain high-performing teams at this year’s Forum.
Bank Directors’ Acquire or Be Acquired Conference is the financial industry’s premier growth and strategy conference for bank CEOs, senior executives and board members, providing senior leadership teams with numerous opportunities to meet and network with peers who are interested in exploring growth opportunities, strategic initiatives and business partnerships.
The Bank C-Suite Summit is an exclusive conference designed for senior bank executives seeking comprehensive insights into bank operations and new growth strategies. During the event, attendees gain valuable knowledge and strategic tools to navigate the dynamic banking industry landscape.
The Corporate Governance Workshop is Course I in Bank Director’s Certification Program. Throughout the workshop, attendees are provided with a thorough grounding in corporate governance and important industry issues that greatly enhance the performance of individual directors.
Bank Board Forum is the meeting ground for bank leaders to acquire and discuss emerging strategies and solutions for today’s evolving landscape. From successful board training and compensation best practices to audit and risk insights, this year’s Bank Board Forum explores topics related to all areas of a bank’s board and committees.
Bank Director’s Bank Audit & Risk Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Offering practical industry solutions regarding pressing audit and risk issues facing bank leaders today, these topical sessions are part of a new comprehensive event. From cybersecurity threats to regulatory scrutiny, the Bank Board Forum provides the tools and insights you need to protect your institution and drive growth.
The Bank Compensation & Talent Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Dive into the latest strategies for recruiting, developing and compensating top talent. Gain firsthand insights into the innovative approaches and best practices being used by successful banks to build and maintain high-performing teams at this year’s Forum.
Each of Bank Director’s Chief Executive Exchanges is designed to bring together a small group of bank CEOs from across the country to discuss strategic matters most pressing to banks today in a closed-door, off-the-record setting.
Bank Directors’ Acquire or Be Acquired Conference is the financial industry’s premier growth and strategy conference for bank CEOs, senior executives and board members, providing senior leadership teams with numerous opportunities to meet and network with peers who are interested in exploring growth opportunities, strategic initiatives and business partnerships.
The Bank C-Suite Summit is an exclusive conference designed for senior bank executives seeking comprehensive insights into bank operations and new growth strategies. During the event, attendees gain valuable knowledge and strategic tools to navigate the dynamic banking industry landscape.
Bank Board Forum is the meeting ground for bank leaders to acquire and discuss emerging strategies and solutions for today’s evolving landscape. From successful board training and compensation best practices to audit and risk insights, this year’s Bank Board Forum explores topics related to all areas of a bank’s board and committees.
Bank Director’s Bank Audit & Risk Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Offering practical industry solutions regarding pressing audit and risk issues facing bank leaders today, these topical sessions are part of a new comprehensive event. From cybersecurity threats to regulatory scrutiny, the Bank Board Forum provides the tools and insights you need to protect your institution and drive growth.
The Bank Compensation & Talent Conference is now part of the Bank Board Forum 2026! Dive into the latest strategies for recruiting, developing and compensating top talent. Gain firsthand insights into the innovative approaches and best practices being used by successful banks to build and maintain high-performing teams at this year’s Forum.
