Regions Bank's undertaking to improve the skills of small and medium-sized business bankers from wealthy demographic sectors
Regions Bank Embraces Digital Transformation to Compete in Southeast Market
Regions Bank, with its network of about 1,250 branches, is navigating the increasingly competitive banking landscape by focusing on growth opportunities in the Southeast. The bank's strategy for fintech disruption combines reskilling its bankers to serve small and middle-market businesses, paired with deep investments in technology modernization.
This approach allows Regions to blend traditional relationship banking with digital capabilities, maintaining a competitive edge in the face of fintech pressures.
Reskilling Bankers for Success
To better serve small businesses and high-potential customer segments, Regions has actively retrained its workforce. This initiative, which has saved over 200,000 hours annually, enables bankers to dedicate more time to customer service and cross-selling digital offerings.
Each banker is assigned a dedicated "performance advocate" to guide them through the reskilling process. The bankers are trained to manage a portfolio of customers, rather than serving one in a more transactional way. They are also equipped with in-depth knowledge of specific financial situations small-business customers might face.
Technology Modernization
Regions is modernizing its core platforms, including launching a new mobile app and planning a cloud-based core deposit platform upgrade by 2027. These efforts aim at operational efficiency and scalability, allowing AI integration to optimize workforce needs and reduce costs. Technology upgrades also support enhanced digital banking experiences for customers.
Organic Growth Focus
Regions is focusing on expanding its footprint organically in priority Southeastern markets, growing deposits by 30% over five years and increasing commercial relationships. This localized growth focuses on leveraging data-driven insights to deepen customer loyalty.
Data-Driven and AI-Enabled Banking
By using data analytics to identify small business clients "hidden" within retail accounts and employing AI-assisted automation, Regions improves both operational efficiency and personalized service. This integration of fintech tools reinforces its traditional banking strengths while capturing fintech-like agility.
John Jordan, head of retail banking at Regions, joined the bank a year ago from Bank of America. He emphasizes the bank's commitment to understanding its customers, including their cash flow and potential needs beyond the banker's focus. Regions Bank is reskilling 600 of its bankers, including 300 small-business bankers and 300 mass-affluent-focused senior consumer bankers.
The bank's reskilling program includes a mix of virtual, instructor-led sessions, and video learning. On the mass-affluent side, the 300 bankers are receiving enhanced training on credit and wealth offerings. Much of the bank's investment into the reskilling effort is "hard to quantify," according to John Jordan. However, the bank is investing in tools and resources to improve products and services for its clients.
As the banking industry in the Southeast becomes more competitive, Regions Bank is sharpening its game and staying connected to its customers. The bank's reskilling program started mid-last year, was implemented in early 2025, and is expected to be completed by the middle of this year. The bank's focus on small businesses, which serve about 400,000 out of approximately 12 million small businesses in its footprint, is a testament to their importance in the bank's strategy.
[1] Source: American Banker [2] Source: Banking Dive [3] Source: Fintech Futures [4] Source: The Financial Brand [5] Source: Bank Director
- Regions Bank's reskilling initiative, aimed at serving small businesses and high-potential customer segments, has been paired with deep investments in technology modernization, which embraces education-and-self-development of bankers in order to stay competitive in the business field of fintech disruption.
- Technology modernization at Regions Bank, including the launch of a new mobile app and cloud-based core deposit platform upgrade, is not only focused on improving operational efficiency and scalability, but also on education-and-self-development of bankers, enabling them to offer fintech-like agility within the sphere of traditional banking.
