Charles B. Wendel

Charles has extensive experience as a banker and a consultant and is a well-known public commentator on financial services industry issues.  Beginning his career with Citibank as a commercial lender, he also worked as a merchant banker with Schroders and Bankers Trust and as a consultant with Mercer Management Consulting and McKinsey & Co. before founding FIC Advisors in 1995.

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Article

Subjects of the revenue realm: Take back your bank

Oct 11, 2019

By Charles B. Wendel
Back in the last century when I was a commercial banker, revenue generators reigned as the undisputed kings and queens of the bank. This group included branch managers, commercial bankers, specialized lenders and other customer-facing folks […]
Consumer Banking
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Article

A Woodstock attendee and financial services pro reflects on moving on ​

Aug 16, 2019

By Charles B. Wendel
Fifty years ago this week, I hitchhiked to Bethel, New York to join 400,000 others at Woodstock. Eventually I landed on Day Two of the three-day event—and unlike countless others who in subsequent years embellished their […]
Technology
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Podcast

Podcast: Aiming to please SMBs

Feb 12, 2019

By Lou Carlozo, Charles B. Wendel
Getting to the heart of serving small- and medium-sized businesses has been a heartache for banks, as they struggle to make many work-intensive transactions into a large, meaningful chunk of volume. Charles...
Technology
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Article

The loan less traveled: To partner or not to partner with alternative lenders?

Jan 27, 2017

By Charles B. Wendel
“Is it worth it weighed against the potential penalties?” a senior banker recently asked. The “it” involves teaming with third-party lenders, commonly termed alternative finance companies (AFCs). AFCs provide digitally enabled lending to borrowers that usually […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Consumer Banking
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Article

At the crossroads of cross-sell: Presenting a roadmap for the Board, regulators, and customers

Nov 1, 2016

By Charles B. Wendel
Cross-sell has long involved selling additional products and services to bank customers, based on an assessment and understanding of their needs. Done appropriately, it provides substantial value both to banks and the customers they serve. Yet […]
Marketing & Sales
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Article

Linking private and business banking

Jun 24, 2016

By Charles B. Wendel
One way for banks to increase banker productivity and per-customer profitability is to better link their commercial and private banking/ wealth management efforts. Serving both the commercial and personal wealth requirements of a business not only […]
Business Banking / Consumer Banking / Marketing & Sales
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Article

Six keys to cross sell success

Feb 5, 2016

By Charles B. Wendel
We all love lists, particularly those New Year’s resolutions for improving our businesses and ourselves. But the fact is, for most financial institutions, that any list should begin with one item. Once that item has been addressed in detail...
Marketing & Sales

Article

Ten resolutions for bankers in the New Year

Dec 18, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
Having worked both as a banker and as a bank consultant for over 20 years, I can testify that this current period seems among the most negative work environments I have ever witnessed. Many bankers now […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Consumer Banking
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Article

Three priorities to set for 2016

Oct 9, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
Many banks are now in the midst of their budget and planning seasons, aimed at improving efficiency and performance in 2016. The continued low interest rate environment, limited growth opportunities and more non-traditional competitive threats have […]
Consumer Banking / Marketing & Sales / Technology
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Article

Where consultants can add value

Aug 10, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
The relationship between bankers and consultants is inevitably fraught with tension. I happen to know because I’m a consultant. Let me try to be objective about this. On one hand, bankers can recount many tales of […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Technology
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Article

Banking response to alternative finance

May 22, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
At the recent Lendit conference focused on “alternative lending,” keynote speaker Larry Summers, the former Secretary of Treasury, said that he would not be surprised if within ten years alternative finance companies (AFCs) generated 75% of […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Consumer Banking

Article

No fun in banking anymore

Feb 13, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
Recently, I ran into a former colleague who was bemoaning that he had been fired. His misfortune was cushioned by a multi-year salary payment, continued health care insurance and full vesting of stock and options – […]
Consumer Banking / Marketing & Sales / Talent & Workforce Management
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Article

What bankers can learn from leasing

Jan 20, 2015

By Charles B. Wendel
In the past two years, banks have focused on building their equipment finance and leasing groups. Faced with slow and low margin growth in traditional commercial and industrial (C&I) lending, many institutions have turned to leasing […]
Consumer Banking / Marketing & Sales

Article

Cross Selling as Secret Sauce for Success

Nov 21, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
Years ago, I was trying to set up a meeting with the head of a small business group at a top five bank. When we spoke by phone, he said he only wanted to meet if […]
Marketing & Sales
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Article

Targeting Fundamentals for Sales

Aug 22, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
Bankers all agree that they need to improve their productivity as operating expenses rise due to diverse factors, including increased compliance costs, continual technology investments, and the need to add more channels while maintaining the old […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Consumer Banking / Marketing & Sales

Article

Why Banks Succeed

Jun 13, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
What day-to-day actions make for a successful bank? We all define success differently, but in my view it requires a bank to satisfy all its stakeholders, namely, generate solid earnings and growth for investors, distinguish itself […]
Consumer Banking / Customer Experience / Marketing & Sales
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Article

Singles, Not Home Runs, for Small Business Success

May 16, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
Baseball fans know who hit the most home runs in a single season. Depending on your age and the purity of your perspective on the game, the established home run leader is Babe Ruth (154 games), Roger Maris (with an...
Business Banking / Consumer Banking
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Article

Why Banks Still Don’t Like Small Businesses

Apr 18, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
In this hyper-regulated and politically correct world, many banks will not admit that, at their core, they dislike banking small businesses. With actions speaking louder than words, it seems apparent that despite all the hype and […]
Business Banking / Consumer Banking

Article

Growth is Easy

Feb 3, 2014

By Charles B. Wendel
It is hardly new news that many banks are struggling to grow, constrained as they are by a still-slow economy, an overly aggressive regulatory environment and an often cautious customer base. However, for many banks, growth […]
Compliance, Regulation & Risk / Marketing & Sales

Article

Making Acquisitions Work (for the Buyer)

Dec 3, 2013

By Charles B. Wendel
More activity has begun to occur in the mergers and acquisition (M&A) space than we have seen for a long while. Whether involving whole bank deals or adding specific capabilities, such as equipment finance, more banks […]
Consumer Banking / Technology
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Article

The Elephant in the Room Is People

Oct 4, 2013

By Charles B. Wendel
Wikipedia defines the term “the elephant in the room” as referring “to a question, problem, solution, or controversial issue which is obvious to everyone who knows about the situation, but which is deliberately ignored because to […]
Consumer Banking / Talent & Workforce Management