3 min read May 2023 — Invest: spoke with Tyrus Sanders, Dallas market executive and Commercial Banking leader of Regions Bank, to discuss how the institution supports midmarket and small businesses in a thriving market. “Around 75% of our deposits – across all business lines – are insured or collateralized by securities. We’re a $154 billion bank, so there’s granularity in our deposit base, which we value immensely,” he said.
What is your assessment of the banking market in Dallas?
Dallas and the entire Metroplex have benefited from significant investments made by local businesses and out-of-state employers that recognize our attractive business climate. Ever since the pandemic began in 2020, we have seen – and withstood – various challenges. An ongoing topic that’s still top of mind is inflation. At its core, the inflation we’ve seen has been supply chain-driven, with a scarcity of product and abundance of liquidity; that’s a perfect recipe for inflation. This is a key area where being a relationship-based bank makes a crucial difference. Connecting with our clients one-on-one is key in helping them understand how much capital they can take out and manage to reach their business goals. The interest rate environment has changed how much capital companies may wish to access, and the opportunity for bankers here is to work with clients in a customized manner to walk them through the present situation and position them for the future. It’s about right-sizing. We want to empower the middle market and grow with it. The most important thing we can do is listen intently to understand our clients’ growth opportunities and the headwinds, as well as the opportunities they face. The more we do that, the better we can deliver for them for and for the middle market.
How does Regions approach risk management?
Regions Bank is a Main Street bank with Wall Street capabilities. Around 75% of our deposits – across all business lines – are insured or collateralized by securities. We’re a $154 billion bank, so there’s granularity in our deposit base, which we value immensely. When you have the type of runoff we’ve seen since the pandemic, that granularity doesn’t impact as much. Our approach is to talk more with our clients and prospects to share with them the strong capacity of our balance sheet and the fact that our tier-one capital is strong and the granularity of deposits and our credit quality is among the best in the country. We’re focused on soundness, profitability, and growth – in that order. We’re committed to building deep relationships, allowing our clients to ask anything that we can then answer with confidence. It’s about creating trust so both sides may speak openly and transparently about their finances and their goals.
How is company culture key to retaining great employees?
Everything begins with our team members. If our associates are happy, it translates to our clients being happy. It’s something we work toward every day. It involves regularly checking in to see how people are doing and ensuring we’re providing them with the tools and resources they need to be successful. I’ve found balance and flexibility are key aspects to creating a great culture. Empowering our associates to be the best version of themselves is my goal as a leader. If you’re not sincere in your support, they know it. Yes, we hold our team members accountable and have high standards, but, more importantly, we seek their feedback so that we ensure they stay and feel proud of our culture.
How is Regions supporting small businesses?
That’s been the big question for many banks during the past three years. The answer is really simple: to listen – and then to bring new tools and resources to the table that help us deliver. We’re responding to the needs of small businesses by understanding what our entrepreneur clients need in this environment, and by particularly focusing on technology, in addition to relationships, to offer a more convenient and cost-effective delivery model. The pandemic only reinforced how vital technology is to doing business. We remain a people business first; that is complemented by technology. We need to remember that our clients are omnichannel in that they may want to connect in a branch, on their laptop or on their phone. Our focus is delivering top-tier service through all of these channels to exceed their service expectations.
What is next for Regions?
We’re focused on growing our market share and, ideally, doubling it. We believe we can do that by recruiting top talent and further developing them into great leaders. I aspire to grow leaders who are better than me as we look to the future. It all begins with a focus on our people. Regions is dedicated to hiring and developing great business relationship managers.
I call it the growth gumbo because it has a lot of ingredients, including leadership, relationships, soundness, profitability, technology and high accountability. Each item goes into the gumbo to create the end result. We’re not interested in big growth simply for the sake of big growth. We’re focused on sound and profitable growth that empowers our clients and elevates our communities; growth where everyone succeeds. When we grow thoughtfully and responsibly, it’s a good day for our clients, our team members and Regions overall.
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