Keith Kelly | Rhode Island market president, Citizens Bank
1. What are your primary duties? A key part of the job is representing Citizens at a wide range of community events the bank supports across the state. Citizens colleagues donate a significant amount of time and money to institutions across Rhode Island. I also lead the team of commercial bankers who serve as strategic and financial partners for our corporate and institutional clients in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts and southeastern Connecticut.
2. What impact has the new Johnston office complex had on the bank? We were really excited to open our new corporate campus in Johnston just about a year ago. This campus brought together more than 3,200 colleagues in a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster greater collaboration while bringing significant benefits to the town, the region and our state. The total project cost was approximately $285 million. We’re hearing from colleagues that the configuration of the buildings is making it easier for them to connect with each other, which in turn makes them more productive and creates higher colleague satisfaction because they’ve got the right space to support their work.
3. With the growth of top-tier banks in Rhode Island and across the nation, is there still room for Citizens to grow? We have great clients and very strong, long-term relationships, but we’ll continue to grow here and across the country by keeping our clients at the center of what we do and expanding the capabilities that we offer them. Competition from other banks is healthy and helps us stay on top of our game.
4. Which lines of banking are generating the most activity in Rhode Island? Our corporate banking business continues to grow at a solid clip. We recently released the Citizens Business Conditions Index, which is derived from proprietary corporate and public data about business growth and employment across the country, including factors such as revenue, manufacturing volumes and wages. The Rhode Island index was almost a full point above the national index.
5. What challenges do banks face from the global economy? Increased market volatility in recent months has caused uncertainty and some businesses are revisiting their growth plans. In my conversations with clients, all of them would like to see the trade issues resolved. The economic fundamentals remain strong in the United States, and Citizens provides a range of solutions that help clients mitigate their risk during volatile times. Another major challenge has been the increasing customer demand for seamless digital solutions. We plan to stay ahead of the curve as customers’ banking needs evolve.
Scott Blake is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Blake@PBN.com.
