Welcome to Randy Hultgren, the IBA’s new president and CEO!

Randy Hultgren

IBA President and CEO

Randy’s first President’s Message for the Illinois Banker magazine is taken from his welcome speech given during the IBA’s REWIRED Annual Conference on June 16.

From the brink of bankruptcy to the best banking association. I had no idea how bad the situation was for the Illinois Bankers Association 20 years ago when Linda Koch stepped up to be our President and CEO. Through many difficult years, Linda built an incredibly strong team at the IBA, worked tirelessly to keep and grow the membership of the Association, and regained the stature and respect of the Illinois Bankers Association with elected officials at every level of government. Linda has been the leader we have needed to make it through devastating financial crises, through unprecedented legislative threats to banking from DC, and through significant consolidation and reduction in the number of banks in Illinois. I have heard from so many of you that the IBA has become the gold standard of banking associations throughout our nation. Thank you, Linda, for all you have done and continue to do to serve our great members and our vital industry!

Bruce Baker, our General Counsel and Executive Vice President, has offered wisdom and direction at every step of rebuilding the IBA. No one in America knows more about banking or has had a bigger role in shaping good banking policy than Bruce. He is vigilantly watching for threats to our Members and is constantly crafting creative legal solutions to compliance and regulatory challenges. Bruce has led a powerful legal team and the IBA and our Members will continue to receive industry leading legal advice and counsel. Bruce, thank you for your great work and dedication advising and advocating for banks in Illinois and around the country for decades.

Allow me to share more about who I am. My name is Randy Hultgren, and I am the incoming President and CEO of the Illinois Bankers Association. If I was sitting in your chair, I would be thinking Randy has huge shoes to fill with the amazing Linda Koch retiring. This important role is a dream come true for me. I have watched and worked with Linda and the IBA team for more than 2 decades, never having an idea that I would one day be given the privilege of helping to lead the Association and lead the fight for the banking industry. My private sector career has been as an attorney, a financial advisor, a bond salesman, and a banker. As a banker myself, I know how you serve and help dreams come true. I have also had the privilege of serving in elected office for 24 years, with my last 8 years representing the great people of the 14th district of Illinois in the United State Congress. My wife, Christy and I just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary, have 4 great children, and we are about to become grandparents any day now.

My life story is tied to banking. I grew up with a dad who was a professional boxer. Well actually, he put people in boxes for a profession. He is a mortician. My dad worked for a funeral home in Chicago and he had a dream of someday owning his own funeral home. In the mid-1970s, the opportunity arose when a funeral director in Wheaton, Illinois, suddenly died, and his wife needed to sell the business. My family sold everything we owned and my mom and dad met with a local banker at Gary-Wheaton Bank, named Jerry Bradshaw. He looked at what we had and how much the funeral home would cost and said he could not quite make the numbers work, but he believed in my mom and dad. He believed that Wheaton needed people like us to serve

the families who were going through the loss of a loved one. He gave us the loan and we never missed a payment. We have cared for thousands of families going through one of the most difficult times of their lives because one banker believed in us. That banker’s decision was a turning point for my family and me that led to my education, my passion for service, my elections, and my commitment to banking.

We are living in the most difficult time many of us have ever seen. I am so proud of the sacrifice and commitment that you have shown in the last couple of months to help and serve your customers. Just as you have shown dedication and care, I can attest to the incredible work of everybody at the IBA as we strove to find clarity and direction for you and your customers through this unprecedented challenge.

It is important that we look to and prepare for the future. Our team is here for you to assist as your lobbies reopen, as many of your customers work through the forgiveness process, and as all our communities adjust to a new normal. We reach out our hand to offer help and to invite you to join with us.

Our entire team will continue to provide the highest quality education and training programs. The valuable and timely regulatory and compliance advice will be excellent and reliable. Bank Talent HQ and all our services and valued partnerships will help to provide a qualified workforce and key products that make it possible for you to meet the needs of your customers. Your voice will resonate through the halls of government with the trusted IBA advocacy team being present to guide the future of banking policy in our state and nation. I commit to you that the IBA will remain bipartisan with the ability to communicate with leaders and legislators from both sides of the aisle and from every part of the state.

The voice of banking is strongest when we have one clear message. Each one of us is different, but we all deeply desire the opportunity to help families, businesses and communities reach their goals and dreams. The challenges and threats to banking are real. Customers ultimately pay the price if our message gets confused and bad policy is implemented. I promise you that I will work daily to serve and advocate for every bank in Illinois and will constantly reach out to other entities that share our passion to make sure that we are speaking with one voice.

Illinois banks matter because you care. Your servant hearts have been on display over the last weeks in a profound, powerful way. One mid-size bank was able to process nearly 500 PPP loans for $32 million – saving nearly 4,500 jobs in its small southern Illinois community. An east central Illinois banker worked through the night to process loans in her small community. As she stated, “I’ve been doing this for over 12 hours and plan to stay up and continue fighting this e-tran system for my small businesses. I can’t imagine telling them that they didn’t get any funds because I decided to get some sleep.” A bank in northwest Illinois took the time to regularly deliver breakfast to hard-working city employees in their community. A central Illinois bank helped a local women’s clothing shop remain operational by walking them through the PPP process every step of the way. The store was able to move its inventory online – something it had previously tried with no success – and stay afloat. According to the store owner “We would not be here without our bank”. And this from a Chicago area restaurant owner: “Thank you so much for all your help and patience with us! With your help, we’re not going anywhere!” I know you all have your own stories of empathy and care that you and your employees have shown, and that has happened all over Illinois. Our team at the IBA will continue to speak up for you and share your great stories.

We have a rich, 130-year history at the IBA. Thank you, Linda, for giving your all to lead and lift the IBA. Thank you to everyone listening for the opportunity you have given me and for how you care for your communities. You have my promise that I will do my best every day to serve you, to lead the fantastic staff of the Association, and to do everything I can to grow your bank and keep the IBA strong and make you proud now and for years to come.