The President's Blog

15 Blog Posts

Dec 16, 2021

My hometown, the place of my roots, where my feet have left, but my heart still resides, is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I was in Bowling Green when the tornadoes descended. Like everyone, I hunkered down, unable to imagine the destruction that was ensuing. On Saturday morning, I saw with my own eyes the devastation and learned of the awful impact on my niece's neighborhood, where several of her neighbors lost their lives, including a child. Since then, I have been filled with immense gratitude. Gratitude that my niece was not harmed, that there was only minor damage to her property and that those I know and love survived.

Is Your Culture Ready for DEI Progress?

Dec 06, 2021

Following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, a spike in Asian-American hate crimes, and the social unrest that ensued in 2020, DEI was propelled to the forefront of corporate America. DEI job postings increased by 123% between May and September 2020. Over 2,000 CEOs and presidents signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge, committing to advancing diversity and inclusion in their organizations and communities. And, since 2019, the number of Black board members in businesses has tripled. But can DEI progress be sustained?

Conversation with the President: Looking to the Future of Financial Services

May 10, 2021

The past year has been full of challenges, trials, and major shifts in the political and economic landscape, from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to the tumultuous 2020 election season and the beginning of a new administration. Many of these developments have brought renewed attention and scrutiny to long-standing debates within the financial services profession on subjects from regulation to effective service models in an increasingly digital environment.

Leadership During Crisis: A White Paper with OneAmerica

Jul 20, 2020

At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, Scott Davison and I connected by phone as we do each Tuesday evening. The circumstances of that conversation were surely jarring. COVID-19 was spreading across America, but with no visibility on the virus, we didn’t know how wide-ranging the tragedy had become.

Now is The Time to Listen – Racial Injustices Cannot Continue

Jun 02, 2020

George Floyd couldn’t breathe, and yet it continued. Racial injustice has followed that playbook for decades. No matter the statistics or the screams for help, it always continues. So, why should what happened on that Minneapolis curbside come as a surprise to anyone?

financial literacy month The American College of Financial Services

What Financial Literacy Means to The American College of Financial Services and Me

Apr 20, 2020

The American College of Financial Services seeks to remain a strong financial literacy advocate and thought leader in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. I sat down for a discussion about what financial literacy means to The College’s future initiatives and me personally.

Leading Change: Understanding Urgency as an Invaluable Skill

Mar 25, 2020

In my experience, many people don’t know how to properly comprehend or communicate urgency. It comes instinctively to some, but many professionals manufacture and mishandle it. To scale urgency across an enterprise, it’s important to think through why the instinct kicked in, how the message is delivered, and what steps should follow to keep the feeling flowing.