Each new year brings an opportunity to reset, refresh and reengage. As industry leaders, it’s a fitting time to contemplate what lies ahead and how to navigate the inevitable uncertainties. Here are five key elements of executive leadership to keep in mind and continue refining in the year ahead. 1. Strategic Thinking Banks, by nature, […]
As Kaplan Partners celebrates our 30th Anniversary this year, I’ve been contemplating how best to mark this milestone. It is hard to fathom how our firm has grown and evolved from those early days when the business launched in the second bedroom of our townhouse in downtown Philadelphia. We’ve learned and seen a lot since […]
Silvana Battaglia, EVP and CHRO at Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), investigates how social issues and hybrid work environments are impacting the balance of power within today’s workforce.
Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of Independent Community Bankers of America, weighs in on advocacy, partisanship, and the regulatory frameworks that ensure fair competition.
Chuck Sulerzyski, President and CEO of Peoples Bancorp, analyzes the current climate of mergers and acquisitions and takes a critical look at the role of technology in banking.
Bill McNabb, former Board Chair and CEO at Vanguard, explores the uncertainty brought by the pandemic and how today’s leaders require growth and grit for long-term success.
As calendars look ahead and with the latest strategic planning retreats in the rearview mirror, now seems a good time to ponder what bank boards need to focus on from a governance perspective. There is no doubt that the operating environment will remain challenging for the foreseeable future. There are many compounding factors: the interest […]
Chuck Sulerzyski, President and CEO at Peoples Bancorp, talks about talent management and how banks are grappling with attracting, retaining, and developing top-tier candidates.
Bill McNabb, former Board Chair and CEO at Vanguard, reflects on the latest NACD Report and takes a hard look at board composition and the future role of corporations in society.
I’ve previously written about three “lessons learned” from the hit HBO show “Succession.” As a refresher, those lessons are: • Succession planning is always vital.• Where was the board of directors?• Separate economic ownership from executive leadership. Now that the final chapter of the show has passed, there are final lessons to be remembered, particularly for boards […]
Silvana Battaglia, EVP and CHRO at Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), challenges executive compensation structures and shares new ideas on the role of ESG in defining corporate performance.
Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of Independent Community Bankers of America, discusses the need to create space for management growth while building a plan for succession.
Chuck Sulerzyski, President and CEO at Peoples Bankcorp, reflects on his personal growth as a leader, culture and community in banking, and the value of making a difference.
Silvana Battaglia, EVP and CHRO at AmerisourceBergen, examines the roles of culture, performance management, and communication in navigating the post-pandemic talent pool.
Bill McNabb, former Board Chair and CEO at Vanguard, discusses his latest book and analyzes the critical need for strategic boards amid the changing landscape of leadership and succession.
Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of Independent Community Bankers of America, reveals her family’s history in community banking and the decisions that led to her ICBA leadership.
BankDirector.com CHARTING A COURSE FOR AMERICA’S BANKING LEADERS It seems that everywhere in the banking world these days, people want to talk about the war for talent. It’s been the subject of many recent presentations at industry conferences and a regular topic of conversation at nearly every roundtable discussion. It’s called many things — the […]
Frank Sorrentino, Board Chair and CEO at ConnectOne Bank, makes the case for why you must have an experience-rich board that is representative of the diverse clients and markets you serve.
Ruby Chandy, Board Member at DuPont and Ametek, talks international talent development, defining corporate trajectory, managing C-suite succession, and how to achieve board consensus.
Reggie Davis, President of Banking at Flagstar Bank, shares his insight on the best ways to identify new talent, ask hard questions, build critical trust, and make the right move at the right time.
My wife and I recently watched all three seasons of HBO’s “Succession.” It’s a wild ride on many levels, full of deceitful and dysfunctional family dynamics, corporate political backstabbing, and plain old evil greed. Despite this over-the-top intertwined family and business drama, there are quite a few relevant lessons worthy of attention from corporate leaders and board […]
Mary Ann Scully, Former Board Chair and CEO at Howard Bank, questions the lack of female and minority executives in banking and challenges today’s financial institutions to make it a strategic priority.
Bill McNabb, former Board Chair and CEO at Vanguard, explores his storied past and shares his personal philosophy on picking the right talent, setting expectations, and building high-performing teams.
The first quarter of 2022 represented a continuation of Kaplan Partners’ strong 2021. Some milestones and notable successes:Successful Assignments
Ledyard Bank, President & Chief Banking OfficerWestfield Bank, President & CEONew Jersey Bankers Association, President & CEOWayne Bank/Norwood Financial, President & CEOACNB Bank, Chief Financial OfficerMascoma Bank, Chief Risk OfficerCitizens & Northern Bank, Chief Wealth Management OfficerBrentwood […]
Frank Sorrentino, Board Chair and CEO at ConnectOne Bank, reveals how he went from real estate developer to bank CEO by putting client service before profits and addressing a critical need in community banking.
By: Jack Milligan, editor-at-large for Bank Director February 16th, 2022 If a core responsibility of a bank board of directors is to hire a competent CEO to run the organization, shouldn’t it also review that individual’s performance? In Bank Director’s 2021 Governance Best Practices Survey, 79% of responding board members said their CEOs’ performance was reviewed […]
Ruby Chandy, Board Member at DuPont and Ametek, delves deep into discussion on how to pivot during the pandemic, sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and reap the benefits of board service.
Alan Kaplan, founder and CEO of executive search and board advisory firm Kaplan Partners, has advice for board members when it comes to evaluations: Fear not. In recent Directors Briefing interview, he outlined why evaluations are an essential part of good governance, and should not be viewed as a threat to incumbent directors. Excerpts follow. […]
Mary Ann Scully, Board Chair and CEO at Howard Bank, discusses the consolidation of community banks, deregulation, the need for scale, and innovation opportunities in banking.
2021 was a remarkable year for Kaplan Partners. Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic and the War for talent, our firm achieved a number of milestones: 
We conducted more CEO/Succession searches than ever before. We placed a record number of Board Members, with over 70% representing diverse talent. We completed Executive Assessments on 21 […]
Reggie Davis, President of Banking at Flagstar Bank, reflects upon his leadership in the financial industry, and how to think differently, break convention, challenge racism, and embrace change.
Bill McNabb, former Board Chair and CEO at Vanguard, redefines TSR (total shareholder return) as he examines the future of corporate leadership in environmental, social, and governance responsibility.
An AchieveNEXT survey of the wealth and asset management industry reveals a substantial gap between the level of DE&I performance in the industry and leaders’ perceptions of their own enterprises’ progress. In the survey, conducted in late spring 2021, in conjunction with Kaplan and MMI, more than 60 executives and advisors in the wealth and […]
The role of a board member of any organization is constantly evolving. Economic cycles, leadership transitions, market dynamics, competitive changes, governance activists, and even political shifts can impact board composition and best practices in corporate governance seemingly out of the blue. Then add the unexpected challenges of a global pandemic, and the environment changes quickly […]
By: Sharon J. Lorman, The Kafafian GroupJeffrey P. Marsico, The Kafafian Group Podcast Show Notes: On this episode, our guests share their insights on how banks are returning to work, some of the benefits and risks associated with “work from home”, and how to promote your culture when a sizeable part of your workforce is remote. […]
Someone once said that “diversity is being invited to the dance; inclusion is being invited to dance”. If this is true, then more banks than ever in New Jersey are dancing! Our industry has had an imbalance for a long time. While a majority of many banks’ employees are often female, those ranks get thinner […]
By Jeremy Weisz, Achieve NEXT Alan J. Kaplan is the Founder and CEO of Kaplan Partners, an executive search and board advisory firm. Alan launched Kaplan Partners in 1994 after beginning his corporate banking career with First Pennsylvania Bank and Meritor/PSFS. Since then, he has built Kaplan Partners into a nationally recognized boutique firm that has […]
In an ideal world, the departure of a key leader at a community bank would be an anticipated and carefully orchestrated event. A retirement date would be set. The successor would have plenty of time to learn from their predecessor. It would be a smooth transition. But we don’t live in an ideal world. If […]
Despite the dual impacts of the global pandemic and challenging economy, this past summer our firm was quite busy continuing to work diligently on behalf of our clients. Some of our recent success stories: President of Community Banking, Flagstar Bank President & CEO, Community Bank/CB Financial Services EVP & Imminent President & CEO, Bankers Cooperative Group/NJ Bankers VP-Finance, […]
Someone once said that “diversity is being invited to the dance; inclusion is being invited to dance”. If this is true, than PACB is finally dancing! After over 140 years serving community banks throughout the Commonwealth, PACB has its first woman Chair, Lori Cestra, EVP & COO of Enterprise Bank in Pittsburgh. This milestone has […]
As companies large and small grapple with the business impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, CEOs and their executive teams need all the help they can get. The Board of Directors or Board of Advisors should be one of the primary resources for organizational leaders. But what if that board is not up to the task […]
To view this article in its published format click here <PACB April 2020 – Kaplan (1)> The global pandemic has struck terror into the hearts of nearly everyone. Business leaders and board members are reeling from the rapid impact on their organizations, across public companies, small businesses, non-profit organizations and more. Everyone has been affected. […]
A conversation with Denise Devine CEO of FNB Holdings & Co-Founder of RTM Vital Signs, LLC
The global pandemic has struck terror into the hearts of nearly everyone. Business leaders and board members are reeling from the rapid impact on their organizations, across public companies, small businesses, non-profit organizations and more. Everyone has been affected. One of the less discussed impacts, which is shaking boardrooms and executive suites, is the issue […]
I don’t claim to be an expert in crisis management. However, since founding our firm 26 years ago, I’ve met literally thousands of C-Suite leaders and recruited over 100 Presidents/CEOs. So, I have observed a few things along the way. Here are three critical elements of leadership which I view as particularly relevant in these […]
A conversation with Carol Johnson
A Conversation with Jim Deutsch, Partner, Patriot Financial Partners
Business conditions, financial markets and competitive landscapes are always changing. But perhaps there is no arena of business undergoing a more significant transformation at the moment than corporate governance. Whether driven by activists investors, regulators, institutional shareholders, governance gadflies or best practices, corporate governance is in the crosshairs for many organizations today. And in the […]
Publicly traded businesses have long been mandated to have a compensation committee which reviews and sets the pay and benefits for corporate executives, and most non-public financial institutions have followed suit. Most “comp committees,” as they are affectionately called, spend the vast majority of their time focused on the institution’s pay practices — including establishing […]
A Conversation with Chris Franklin / Chairman + CEO, Aqua America
A Conversation with Trish Wellenbach
Board games, team players It’s the stuff of Hollywood drama and CEO nightmares. Dysfunctional boards of directors – at least in movies and bad dreams – can be the source is interminable meetings, uninspired deliberation, corporate gridlock and even hostile power grabs. In everyday business life, however, a board of directors doesn’t have to be […]
A Conversation with Carol Johnson
A Conversation with Denise Devine
A Conversation with Jim Deutsch
A Conversation with Trish Wellenbach