Let me share a counterintuitive truth about bank leadership:
Your most important job as CEO is to make yourself replaceable.
I've seen too many community bank leaders who believe their personal involvement in every decision is the path to success.
They're wrong.
And if you're planning a po...
What separates successful bank sales from disappointments?
It's not market timing.
It's not luck.
And it's certainly not the latest M&A trend.
It's preparation.
When you're prepared, two things happen: your decisions become more confident, and the entire process seems to "slow down" – all...
Let's talk about something that trips up many bank CEOs when considering a sale: limiting your potential buyer pool too early in the process.
Here's a fundamental truth about any sales process:
The more qualified prospects at the top of your funnel, the better your chances of getting maximum...
Let's talk about one of the most crucial decisions you'll make when selling your bank: how to take it to market.
There are three distinct approaches and choosing the right one can mean the difference between a smooth, value-maximizing transaction and a messy process that destroys shareholder val...
Let me share something I've learned from decades in banking: Most CEOs start thinking about selling their bank when they're forced to.
And that's exactly when you don't want to start.
And just because you’re prepared to sell, it doesn’t mean you need to sell.
Being prepared to sell, with...
Let's talk about something every bank CEO struggles with when considering a sale: the mental shift from being a builder to being a seller.
Here's what typically happens in your mind:
"Here's my bank. What will you give me for it?"
Simple, right? You've built something valuable, now it...
Let's have an honest conversation about bank valuations.
I hear it in boardrooms across the country: "We'll consider selling when the multiples improve."
Or my personal favorite: "We won't even look at offers under 2x book."
Here's the truth: If you're waiting for multiples to determi...
You've made the monumental decision to sell your community bank.
Whether driven by market conditions, succession planning, or strategic growth objectives, you're about to embark on one of the most challenging leadership journeys of your career.
I'm going to walk you through the three crit...
The deal closed.
There are a whole host of emotions.
How do you celebrate?
And, with whom?
Management Team
It’s important to celebrate this milestone with your team and to affirm their transformation into the value-driven leaders they have become.
Sadly, many leaders are so competitive w...
The deal closed.
The bank you were CEO of, and the holding company (if applicable) no longer exist.
The duties you had related to the distribution of the merger consideration will remain until they have been fully disbursed.
Employees and customers begin to look beyond your authority to ...
The focus here is primarily for bank buyers, but it has contextual value for sellers as well.
This is being provided as an aid to make your acquisition go as successfully as possible.
Please read it in the spirit in which it is intended.
If you get good at this, you will distinguish your...
In addition to the organic customer calling that has taken place since the announcement, you will have a customer calling blitz as well.
That is a concentrated effort to go to the customer’s place of business for a face- to-face meeting.
The goal of the calling blitz is to make certain you can ...
