Pub. 11 2020 Issue 2

www.wvbankers.org 12 West Virginia Banker Member Focus: City National Bank C ity National Bank, headquartered here in West Virgin- ia, has grown to be a nationally recognized leader in community banking over the past 60 years. Today, City serves consumers and businesses in more than 90 locations across West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio. City’s com- mitment to personalized service and community engagement has allowed City to become and remain one of the most highly rated community banks in the country. City National Bank ranked #1 in customer satisfaction in the North Central region in the J.D. Power U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study for the third year in a row. WVBankers recently met with Guy Johnston, Retail Sales Manager at City National Bank about what this recognition means to the bank, his own thoughts as to what creates a successful community bank and a few thoughts about what the future holds for the industry. Guy joined City National Bank in 2013, when he was of- fered a position with the bank. He was impressed with the core values of City, and the executives’ attention to detail, when an effort was made to make his young children feel comfortable — and keep them busy with their favorite Disney movie — during a family-type interview. That small effort spoke volumes, and it was one of the determining factors for Guy in moving his family to West Virginia and joining the City “family.” Guy’s career in banking, which began in 1994, didn’t actually start with plans within the financial services industry. Like many young boys of the time, his dream was to play profes- sional baseball. When this didn’t work out after college, a lady at church suggested he interview for the management training program at a bank in his hometown in Northern Virginia. He did. Over the years, Guy has worked in several banks, large and small, but his time with City has been exceptionally reward- ing. The authenticity and transparency of the organization has been a constant from day one. How has retail banking changed in the last 5 years? Change is relative. There are really not many surprises if you’re paying attention. The way consumers choose to bank continues to evolve; and use among the various channels (branch, ATM, ITM (video banking), call centers, online, and mobile) continues to shift, with mobile having by far the high- est growth in recent years. We have seen that customers want choices. The fact that they might visit branches less for routine transactions — which they can use our mobile app for — doesn’t make the branch any less important. The quality of the branch interaction is more important than ever. Another trend over the past few years, and one that will con- tinue to evolve, is the size and mix of branch staff. Branches