Executive Letter: Staying Ahead of Industry Challenges with the Society of Bank Executives
By Rose Oswald Poels
The Society of Bank Executives — which officially launched earlier this year after a pre-launch session last fall — provides C-suite bankers with accelerated professional development and networking opportunities. As an original partner in the nationwide program, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is committed to ensuring bankers in Wisconsin have access to education and resources that allow them to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and foster growth and development throughout their bank.
As bankers are well aware, our industry is facing new challenges daily. It is critical, for the continued success of banks throughout the U.S., that all leaders have the ability to identify and proactively respond to various types of risk. As such, the Society has identified Strategic Risk as the topic of the fall 2023 session.
The Society provides its members with a unique opportunity to enhance their own professional development — often alongside members of their executive team — while learning from national experts on the designated topics. In the last year, several Wisconsin bankers have joined the Society and found it to be very valuable to their own professional growth as a leader while meeting peers from around the country.
Membership of the Society includes two six-month, self-paced professional development programs a year. These sessions are focused specifically on assisting bank executives in developing and mastering the “art” of leading a bank. So far, more than 125 bank leaders from 57 banks in 13 states have already joined the Society’s distinctive, peer-driven program.
During the fall event, the Society will host three virtual webinars, with related readings and resources, and one in-person summit. Bankers will hone important leadership skills and be able to network with other leaders from around the country on many strategic topics.
The first Society event for the upcoming fall session will be held via Zoom in August, so now is the perfect time for bank executives in Wisconsin to sign on as individual members or as a team and make the most of the upcoming session. Additionally, new members will gain access to a substantive online library featuring previous sessions and resources related to Trust & Team Building and Culture.
To learn more about the Society, and to join as a member, please visit executives.bank/home.
