10 Years Strong

BY PAT ALLEN

With a decade of publishing behind us, BAI’s Banking Strategies looks forward.

Financial services broader than banking, strategic thinking beyond the nuts and bolts, and at all times taking full advantage of the access afforded by our role as the publication of BAI, a trusted professional services organization.

That was the mission when BAI?s Banking Strategies debuted 10 years ago this month. In the 60 bimonthly issues since then, Jamie Dimon, John McCoy, Ken Thompson, Richard Kovacevich ? and in this issue James Rohr ? are among the bankers who?ve sat down to talk to us; Charles Schwab, CheckFree?s Pete Kight and Harvard?s Michael Porter are among the non-bankers. A legion of experts ? from McKinsey to First Manhattan Consulting Group to Javelin Group ? have contributed articles. Countless authorities have shared their views on CRM, EVA, CRA and ACH with our writers. Over the years, advertising support from Wang Laboratories, Sanchez Computer Associates and Littlewood, Shain & Company (advertisers in our first issue) has given way to new advertisers including MapInfo, Open Solutions and MillerZell.

Whether to newsmaker, news source or advertiser, Banking Strategies? appeal is in our greatest single asset: You the reader. Recent reader research tells us that our 32,000 senior-level subscribers get quite engaged in our long-form (yes, even we wince at the length of some of the articles!) coverage. You pay us the highest compliment when you report that you spend close to 40 minutes with each issue because our work ?helps you think about strategic issues/industry trends? and provides you with ?new ideas.?

Such encouragement emboldens us to want to do more. For years now, our full article archives have been available at www.bai.org/bankingstrategies/archive/, and many articles seek to capture your thoughts in blog form. In addition, our every-other-Wednesday e-newsletter lets us cover some of the quick takes (you can sign up at no charge at www.bai.org/nl/bsrnmg/).

There?s more to the Web, though, than pushing words to you to read on a computer monitor. In the coming months, we?ll be exploring more of the possibilities ? and we?ll be urging you to come along. If you haven?t already, you might invest a few minutes in listening to our recent audio interviews with consultants and companies that are shaping the industry. In the last month or so, you were mailed our annual Resource Directory buyer?s guide. In print it?s a valuable reference document; online it?s always up to date and offers added rich content. These are just two examples of how we add value that goes beyond the information we package and deliver to you six times a year in print.

The next 10 years? The banking industry promises to continue to fascinate/inspire/bewilder. We cherish the affection you?ve shown for us in our first decade. And, we take your trust in Banking Strategies? balanced and unbiased coverage as permission going forward to deliver even more strategic insights ? more timely and more accessible ? for you and the organization you manage. Here?s a rare short sentence from Banking Strategies: Thank you for reading and bring on the next 10!