How Steve Bradshaw Saved his Oklahoma Bank from the Great Recession
Jennifer Pellet
“In two years, it will feel like success if we manage to meet all of those heightened requirements, but if we’ve done that and we haven’t grown the bank, that’s not a win. Internally, I’ve been driving home the message that our growth initiatives are just as important as meeting the regulatory expectations.”
To that point, Bradshaw is determined to continue to grow BOK’s share of markets like Texas, where the bank has small footholds in the Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston markets, and to work toward getting a piece of the expanding healthcare industry market.
“In two years, it will feel like success if we manage to meet all of those heightened requirements, but if we’ve done that and we haven’t grown the bank, that’s not a win.”
“Our part of the country seems to be seeing a disproportionate amount of growth in areas like assisted living, acute surgery, memory care, skilled nursing,” says Bradshaw, who says BOK has been ramping up its governance capabilities around the regulatory elements and underwriting risks specific to the healthcare industry.
“We plan to attack the healthcare industry the same way we do energy. Early returns are positive and it offers a good opportunity for above-market growth.” BOK has also consolidated its investment business and is expanding its sales force and product portfolio. “Most recently, we introduced a new world energy fund,” explains Bradshaw. “If I can lift loan growth and if I can lift asset accumulation in the investment management business where the margins are good, those are my two best levers to continue to grow EPS in an otherwise challenging rate and regulatory environment. So that’s the focus right now.”
WHO: Steve Bradshaw
TITLE: President & CEO
COMPANY: BOK Financial
LOCATION: Tulsa, Oklahoma
SIZE: $27.4 billion
FIRST JOB: Local Federal Savings & Loan
LEISURE INTEREST: Cooking
SPECIALTIES: Risotto, Thai and Indian cuisines
FAVORITE TEAM: Green Bay Packers
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