Paul Howard has been promoted to executive vice president of group credit at Citizens Financial Group in Providence. He manages group credit transactions with the primary responsibility of reviewing and approving high-value credit transactions across the company. He previously headed the group risk review department at the Royal Bank of Scotland, Citizens’ parent company. Originally from Manchester, England, Howard is a graduate of Bolton University, located in Bolton, England. He lives in Barrington.
PBN: What differences do you see in corporate culture from Royal Bank of Scotland to Citizens?
Howard: I think the cultures are pretty well aligned and working at RBS was a good grounding for my arrival at Citizens. Both organizations are fast-paced, entrepreneurial and empower employees to operate and think for themselves. It’s an exciting place to be.
PBN: What do you do at the bank?
Howard: I am head of credit transactions, so I am involved in the review and approval of larger corporate credit transactions across the whole of Citizens. This includes approval of transactions within my own credit authority and participation in credit committees, which we hold every day to consider the largest borrower requests.
PBN: Does your job give you insights into where the economy is heading?
Howard: I am no economist, but last year’s strong GDP growth did manifest itself into fairly solid results from the corporate sector and some of the pent-up demand for capital expenditure drove requests for finance from our customers. While there are many geo-political influences that could impact, I would expect to see continued steady growth; and while the fiscal policy stimulus of the past couple years will fade, the consumer will continue to have confidence while the job market remains strong.
PBN: What do you miss the most about England?
Howard: My family and friends, going to watch Manchester United (where I still have a season ticket), but not the weather!
