The business aspects of retail banking are often local in nature, even within the construct of global financial institutions. This dynamic aligns well with Egon Zehnder’s One Firm model — our worldwide reach (including 66 offices across 36 countries) combined with a highly collaborative boutique structure enables us to offer clients a local experience within the context of a large global firm.
Areas such as data analytics, for instance, warrant a global search for best-in-class executives. As the banking industry navigates the transition from brick-and-mortar branches to digital channels, sectors such as hospitality and technology, which have already honed best practices, have become appealing sources of talent. Bankers face a critical challenge in determining what form their customer’s omni-channel experience will take. Such decisions require an intimate knowledge of local market customs and preferences.
The next-generation retail banking leader clearly requires transformation skills, as well as the ability to design and execute a future-oriented strategy. Retooling will likely involve back-office cost cutting, requiring an understanding of operations, as well as experience with marketing via both traditional and new media. This leader must also be able to drive change without alienating customers.
We are well positioned to advise on your transformation across all of these dimensions. Our executive assessment, leadership development, and team effectiveness review services can help improve existing talent, while our executive search stands ready to augment any identified gaps. These services can also be bespoke; for example, we recently helped a leading bank benchmark its innovation capabilities to establish a point of departure, then designed several digital organization alternatives and assisted leadership in assessing which offered the greatest probability of success.
Because we hire exclusively from industry, our consultants possess the domain expertise to deliver insights tailored to market needs. We pride ourselves in constantly thinking about ways to help our clients’ business — with or without the mandate of a specific assignment. We invite you to experience true partnership through this unique model.
