Strategic Management of the IT Function
Most bankers would intuitively agree that information technology (IT) is a strategic function in the banking industry. It is increasingly important to interact with customers over the web and via […]
What Does Reviewing Strategic Alternatives Mean to You?
I recently read the following headline: “Next step for ABC Bancorp could be ‘strategic alternatives’.” It could have read, “ABC Bancorp is out of options and should sell.” [The name […]
Hard to Believe it’s Been 10 Years!
On November 1, 2011, The Kafafian Group (“TKG”) celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary as an independent company. But actually, our history goes back to the early 1980’s. TKG HISTORY The […]
Risk Oversight, Capital and Imperatives for a More Engaged Board
The economic smack-down we have weathered since 2008 has emphasized the importance of the Board of Directors’ responsibility for risk oversight. We have seen an over-reaction to the excesses that […]
What Kind of Board of Directors Does Your Bank Have?
As a result of the financial crisis and subsequent recession, Board oversight has become a more significant issue to both regulators and shareholders. Proper corporate governance and the role of […]
Are the Regulators Getting You Down?
I’ve often found these past two years extremely difficult. As consultants, we should try not to personalize engagements. But I can’t change the internal wiring. Last year, a client failed, […]
A Practical Approach to Reducing Operating Expenses
In the present economic environment, revenue growth is becoming much more difficult to attain, net interest margins are under pressure, and compliance costs are on the rise. In these challenging […]
Things That Confound Me!
On an annualized basis, TKG performs somewhere between 35 and 40 strategic plans. Most of these engagements are between the months of June and December. However, this year we completed […]
Keeping things in Perspective
The last few years have certainly been a difficult time for the financial industry, as well as the United States and world economies. The sub-prime fiasco has been compared to […]
Are you Training for the Gold?
I recently watched the movie Miracle about the 1980 USA hockey team for the third time. In the movie, legendary coach Herb Brooks told his team that they may not […]