Business Transformation | 12.07.22
Circle of Excellence Q&A: Howard Hammond
by: BISA Staff, Howard Hammond
In this fourth and final installment of BISA Portfolio’s Q&A series with 2022 Circle of Excellence awardees, Howard Hammond shares how BISA has made an incredible impact on his career. As a committed BISA member with an exceptional drive towards success, Howard is incredibly deserving of this award.
The Circle of Excellence Award, BISA’s most prestigious award, honors and celebrates extraordinary leaders for their long-term commitment to the profession and association. To be eligible for this distinguished award, candidates must be senior-level executives in their institution with a minimum of 20 cumulative years of experience in the financial services industry and have made meaningful contributions with a lasting impact to the association. Candidates should be recognized among their peers for their outstanding vision, innovation and career achievements.
What does being a "Circle of Excellence" winner mean to you?
Being a Circle of Excellence winner was a proud moment in my career. It is an honor to have your peers acknowledge your contributions to BISA and our industry.
How has BISA impacted your career and relationships in the industry?
For me, BISA and its members have always been a measuring stick, a way to share ideas and ways to change and improve our industry. BISA meetings have always felt like a family reunion to me. You may not see these folks very often, but you pick up right where you left off.
What is the moment, decision or result you are most proud of from your career?
The result I have been the proudest of in my career has been the improvement of Fifth Third Securities over the years. We have been an organization that was fortunate to have incredible people buying into a vision to be the best. Even after becoming the head of our Consumer Bank, I still take pride in watching what the FTS team continues to accomplish.
Tell us about one person who has inspired you on your career journey. What was their role in leading you to where you are today?
Dennis Madigan, who was the president of the broker dealer when I was at Citigroup, inspired me on my career journey. He always evaluated a situation and never sought to blame. He would have the discipline to solve problems and encourage you to find the solution and get to the right decision. His mentorship really helped me early in my managerial career.
What is one piece of advice you have for individuals looking to advance their career in the financial industry?
The best piece of advice I could give to anyone is do the job you have in an exceptional manner and keep an eye toward the future. I was always focused on the job I had and not necessarily on the next one. This allowed me to have focus on doing my best and building a great team. Often, people spend their time worrying about the next job and all their people see is that as well. It has been my experience that great performance is always recognized.
How has this ever-evolving industry adjusted your day-to-day responsibilities as head of consumer banking?
The speed of change has accelerated the last several years. The key for me and Fifth Third Bank is to keep the customer at the center and provide them with the products and services they need to reach their goals. If we keep our focus on that, it has been my observation everything else works out.
About Howard Hammond
Howard Hammond serves as executive vice president and head of Consumer Banking at Fifth Third Bancorp. He leads more than 8,000 employees and oversees more than 1,000 financial centers and approximately 2,200 ATMs across the Bank’s footprint. Howard is responsible for the division’s performance, objectives, products, operations and strategies. He also oversees the consumer customer experience team. He and his workforce provide products and services to provide smart financial solutions, and improving customers’ lives and communities.
Howard previously was head of Retail Banking and Brokerage Distribution and, before that, managing director of Fifth Third Securities. In 15 years at Fifth Third, he has overseen an increase in assets under management by the investment business from $500 million to over $8.5 billion in the firm’s managed money business. In addition, he has launched a successful insurance business at Fifth Third that includes life, disability and long-term care insurance.
Howard has more than 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before coming to Fifth Third Securities, Howard worked for 18 years with Citigroup, where he rose from management associate to being responsible for the largest revenue-producing territory in the Citibank channel.