Main Street Ledger: Celebrating 75 Years of CBA’s Executive Banking School
This week, the Consumer Bankers Association welcomes nearly 400 senior level bankers back to school for our 75th Executive Banking School (EBS), held at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.
CBA’s mission is to “partner with the nation’s leading retail banks to promote sound policy, to promote the next generation of diverse bankers to lead the industry, and to finance the dreams of consumers and small businesses.” A critical part of that mission comes to life through EBS, which is an immersive and intensive three-year program that focuses on the fundamentals of what it takes to successfully run a consumer retail bank.
The school's origins date back to 1952, when CBA established the School of Consumer Banking at the University of Virginia to meet what was then described as a "long-felt need" for bankers seeking deeper knowledge and a broader understanding of the industry. Retail banking was becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the industry recognized that tomorrow's leaders would need the skills necessary to lead through change.
Now, 75 years later, that mission has never been more relevant. Today’s banking leaders face challenges unimaginable to those first classes decades ago. Even amidst significant digital and technology changes, increased competition, changing consumer expectations and regulatory changes—banks continue to deliver on a proud legacy of helping families buy homes, finance education, grow small businesses, and weather economic uncertainty.
EBS prepares leaders for today’s rapidly evolving banking landscape and the unknown headwinds that may arise in the future through an immersive experience that teaches students how every part of a bank works together; from retail strategy and product development to finance, risk management, communications, and executive decision-making. Executive Banking School has delivered this rigorous immersive learning through a three-year curriculum taught by experienced banking leaders who bring valuable real-world perspective to the classroom.
Students leave EBS with a stronger financial acumen, sharper strategic thinking, and a greater appreciation for the interconnected decisions that drive successful institutions. Just as importantly, they build relationships with peers from banks across the country, creating professional networks that often last an entire career. Those connections foster collaboration, encourage the exchange of ideas, and ultimately make our industry stronger.
The results speak for themselves. Over the decades, EBS alumni have gone on to become CEOs, presidents, chief risk officers, chief financial officers, board members, and other senior leaders at banks serving millions of Americans.
As we celebrate 75 years of Executive Banking School, we are honoring more than a remarkable institution. We are celebrating every student who has devoted time away from their family and day job to become a better leader, every faculty member who brings deep commitment and passion to the vision and mission of EBS and the future of the industry, and every bank that invested in its people and the future of its bank and the industry.
Banking will undoubtedly continue to evolve. But its purpose of EBS remains exactly as it was in 1952: preparing exceptional leaders who will ensure America's leading retail banks continue to innovate, deliver on their mission to serve consumers and communities, and drive our nation's economy forward for generations to come.
To learn more about the 75th session of CBA’s Executive Banking School, click HERE. To learn more about the 2026 EBS Curriculum, click HERE. To learn more about the 2025 EBS graduates, click HERE.
CFPB Director Nominee Brian Johnson Sees Some 'Good' in the Bureau
What’s Happening: As Acting CFPB Director Russ Vought’s tenure leading the agency comes to an end at the beginning of August, attention has turned to President Trump’s nominee to succeed Vought: former CFPB Deputy Director Brian Johnson.
Why It Matters: As Capitol Account reports, "Johnson has written and spoken for years about the agency’s mission and regulatory responsibilities. While he often hews a conservative line, he has generally called for reforms rather than, say, mass firings or closure. In fact, he told the House Financial Services Committee in 2023 that the agency is ‘capable of great good,’ as long as it is 'properly structured and managed.'"
What They’re Saying: When looking back at Johnson’s previous remarks while he was at the CFPB in 2018 and 2019, he says his philosophy is that financial regulators should only step in to address clearly defined issues on consumer protection to ensure banks can continue to offer products for consumers:
"Some have even argued that financial goods and services are like toasters, requiring agencies like the bureau to impose heavy-handed prophylactic measures to try to protect consumers. But I believe this view is mistaken […] a defective toaster isn’t good for anyone other than maybe a scrap metal dealer. A loan, on the other hand, can conceivably be good for some people some of the time, even if it is not good for all people all the time."
Looking Ahead: There are questions around how much free reign Johnson will have to implement his vision for the Bureau – even though Vought’s temporary appointment is set to expire in August, there will be an eye on how the new CFPB Director, once confirmed, will carry out President Trump’s priorities.
Dive Deeper: To read more, click HERE.
Fed’s Bowman: Expanding Credit Access With AI
What Happened: At a financial inclusion event Tuesday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she sees AI as an opportunity to expand credit access and facilitate innovation in the banking sector.
Why It Matters: While Vice Chair Bowman has previously made remarks about AI being a potential source of innovation, this was the first time she outright mentioned AI’s ability to expand credit access.
- Bowman noted that using AI for credit evaluations would open banks to greater legal scrutiny, but it is not regulators' place to say whether banks should or should not use AI for this.
What They’re Saying: Vice Chair Bowman highlighted the Financial Stability Board’s recent report on sound practices for AI saying it supports an oversight approach that is risk-adjusted and flexible:
"Financial institutions should leverage their existing risk-management frameworks, adding appropriate enhancements and controls tailored to the specific risks that each AI application presents."
Yes, but: Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr notes that AI should be more carefully regulated, may deepen economic inequality if not properly regulated, and that the optimal outcome for the AI era will come from implementing the right set of policies:
"We have heard many bold pronouncements about what AI will be able to do in the near and distant future […] Some will likely come to pass and others won't. But future inequality will depend not only on what AI can do, but on what we choose to do with AI."
Dive Deeper: To read more, click HERE.
Why Both the Left and Right Have Rejected Free Markets
What’s Happening: As Axios reports, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing back against the market-first consensus that has been a defining factor of policymaking in Washington for 40 years.
Why It Matters: It is resulting in a shift for U.S. economic policy, potentially overturning decades of traditional ideals on trade, manufacturing, housing, health care, and corporate influence.
While the skepticism of these ideals is shared on both sides, there are vastly different visions for what comes next – while the Trump Administration pushes for government stakes in private companies, socialist candidates pushing for a more active government role in the economy are winning more Democratic primaries.
What They’re Saying: On the right, leaders are sharing how the GOP’s focus is moving away from free markets to more interventionist government that promote domestic industry:
"American economic policy on the right is now much more Alexander Hamilton than it is Milton Friedman," Vice President J.D. Vance told right-wing political commentator Michael Knowles last month.
On the left, Democratic socialists argue that government, not markets, should guarantee affordable housing, health care, and other basic necessities:
"Free-market fundamentalism no longer being in vogue in either party is a response to the fact that Americans don't think that economic system has worked for them," Lindsay Owens, the executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive think tank, said.
Dive Deeper: To read more, click HERE.
