ORGANIZATION NAME:                    Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation

The SW Graduate School of Banking Foundation (Foundation) at SMU is the first name in banking education, bank management training and bank director training programs. Thousands of financial services professionals have attended its banking management programs since its founding in 1957. Its banking industry participants fill the senior ranks of financial institutions, bank regulatory agencies, and bank-affiliated organizations throughout North America and abroad. Partnered with Southern Methodist University's renowned Edwin L. Cox School of Business, the Foundation offers bank management education at the corporate level. The Mission of the SW Graduate School of Banking is to be the Most Trusted Educational Source for Loan Officers, Bank Directors, Regulators, Commercial Lenders, Operations Officers, Marketing Officers, and Management Professionals.

History of the Foundation

The present Foundation evolved from an organization established in 1960, to perpetuate the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB), which was founded in 1957, by a group of Dallas banking leaders and top Southern Methodist University (SMU) officials. SWGSB was headed by Professor Richard B. Johnson for its first 23 years.

He, together with some of the industry's foremost executives and SMU's leadership, guided the program and established a board of trustees to formally oversee its governance. An excellent innovator and administrator, Dr. Johnson added other programs as well as publications to meet the educational needs of a dynamic financial marketplace.

Dr. S. Scott MacDonald took the reins of the Foundation in 1997 and continued to grow its product lines, overseeing the SWGSB, the ABA Commercial Lending Schools, the Assemblies for Bank Directors, the Workshops for Bank Directors, and several key financial services industry partnerships. After 24 years in a leadership role Dr. MacDonald retired and SWGSB’s Board of Directors appointed Jeff Schmid as his successor in 2021.

Mr. Schmid brought more than 40 years of banking experience to SWGSB having held leadership positions at Mutual of Omaha Bank and Susser Bank. He was also a proud graduate of the SWGSB summer residence program at SMU Cox in 1990. In July of 2023, Mr. Schmid was appointed to serve as the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

To learn more, visit: https://www.swgsb.org

POSITION OVERVIEW:

To be considered, candidates should forward a letter of interest and a current resume to swgsb.president@LochlinPartners.com.

SWGSB’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will have primary responsibility for the leadership, strategy, and operational management of the Foundation. This new executive will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating the staff, programs, and activities of the Foundation to ensure that educational objectives, goals, and organizational needs are met. The President and CEO will work closely with the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to ensure that the Foundation and SWGSB are achieving their mission of being the most trusted educational source for bank employees, officers, and directors.

This new leader will manage an experienced, nimble operation that enjoys an excellent reputation in both the banking industry and within the academic community. The President and CEO will lead the organization during a time of change and transition in both banking and academia. To support the long-term efforts of the Foundation, the CEO will not only have to focus on the quality of the program offerings, but they will also focus on maintaining and growing enrollment and the profitability of the Foundation. The Foundation has to date thrived because of strategic partnerships and the development of new products. The CEO will need to continue to forge new partnerships, build new products and focus on cost control as well as possibly develop a new model for delivering education which produces additional revenue per participant. The President and CEO will be responsible for fundraising on behalf of SWGSB.

SWGSB, like much of academia, has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting technology-enabled, innovative ways to deliver their unique offerings to their students. As the pandemic passes, the CEO will need to lead SWGSB to evaluate and determine the path forward regarding the future of delivering educational products of the highest quality. This will occur in an environment where there is strong competition from other entities providing educational products geared toward bankers.

SWGSB’s President and CEO manages the day-to-day operations of the organization, including managing a small, but dedicated and high performing staff. Direct reports include an Associate Director, a Manager of Operations, and an Information Systems Specialist. With a robust academic calendar, the CEO ensures that SWGSB delivers high impact educational programs including the Assemblies and Workshops for Bank Directors, the Certified Community Bank Director’s Program, the ABA Foundational Commercial Lending School, the ABA Advanced Commercial Lending School, the Bank Operations Institute, and the Foundations annual flagship program the SW Graduate School of Banking. The CEO and the Foundation team have complete responsibility for the execution of these programs including developing and evolving the curriculum; securing the participation of impactful instructors and faculty; selecting and engaging appropriate venues; marketing programs to prospective students; registering participants; and evaluating program success. With an innovative mindset, the CEO will also work with appropriate stakeholders to lead the development of new programs that can serve the ever-changing needs of the banking industry.

The CEO is responsible for serving as the Foundation’s liaison and working closely with Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the newly renovated Edwin L. Cox School of Business to ensure that the Foundation’s programs achieve the goals of both entities and that they are logistically sound. Both the University and the Cox School of Business are represented on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, as are other key stakeholders including the Texas Bankers Association, the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, and the Community Bankers Association of Oklahoma. In addition, there are eight industry members.

In addition to the above, the President and CEO will lead the overall activities of the organization, which includes the following:

• Identify and create additional revenue streams to support the Foundation and look for new ways to support the organization through innovative programs.
• Empower the team to lead their functions effectively and efficiently and encourage collaboration across the organization.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with industry advocates, industry associations and regulators. Play a lead role in developing cost-effective programs as a result of these partnerships.
• Serve as the official spokesperson of the Foundation and SWGSB externally at events, promoting and expanding the positive role and influence of the program and of banking in general.
• Oversee all corporate functions for the Foundation including finance, human resources, and information technology. Prepare and manage the budget, negotiate on behalf of the Foundation, with final sign off on all contracts and agreements.