Recognizing his stellar contributions, Fifth Third Bank has named executive vice president Kala Gibson chief enterprise corporate responsibility officer and head of Business Banking. His role is expanding to include responsibility for community and economic development.
Gibson’s promotion is a big deal as Fifth Third is among the nation’s largest and most profitable banks. The Cincinnati-based bank has assets of $202 billion and 1,122 branches in 11 states in the Midwest and Southeast regions among its operations. Fifth Third Bank is the top subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp.
“Our company has made tremendous strides over the past five years in the way we serve our communities,” Tim Spence, president of Fifth Third Bancorp, said in a news release. “Our community and economic development team has been at the forefront of driving this change, with long-tenured leaders working to strengthen our relationships within and across community organizations. I congratulate Kala on this recognition of his abilities, performance and leadership.”
Equipped with over 30 years in the financial services industry, Gibson has experience in strategic planning, operations, regulatory compliance, product development, and relationship management. He also has been a powerful voice in matters of community responsibility and accountability as well as social justice and broad social equity. He joined Fifth Third in 2011 as a business banking executive in Eastern Michigan and was named head of Business Banking in 2013.
His business banking leadership was integral to Fifth Third’s ability to deliver the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to over 40,000 clients. Further, he was a leader on the team that delivered the bank’s $32 billion community commitment.
Gibson also serves as chair of the bank’s newly formed Executive Diversity Leadership Council.
A recent story in Black Enterprise covers how Gibson, then executive vice president and head of Business Banking, and Kevin Lavender, executive vice president & head of Commercial Banking, have helped Black businesses survive the double pandemics of COVID-19 and racial inequality. Gibson also was profiled in this Black Enterprise article.
Two others, Stefanie Steward-Young and Jada Grandy-Mock, were also promoted at Fifth Third.
Appointed chief corporate social responsibility officer, Steward-Young will manage the bank’s response to the communities it serves and drive corporate social responsibility strategy, a key facet of the bank’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership. She has over 20 years of financial service industry experience including corporate and regional Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) leadership, commercial credit, and branch management. Her new role will encompass corporate social responsibility, community giving, employee volunteerism, and alignment with ESG and partners. She also will manage the service programs that help the bank meet its CRA requirements.
Named chief corporate community and economic development officer, Grandy-Mock will manage Fifth Third’s comprehensive Community Economic Development (CED) strategies. Her role includes oversight of CRA compliance, CRA lending and investment strategy, as well as development and implementation of CRA community engagement and partnerships. Further, she will oversee the bank’s multicultural strategy. Joining Fifth Third in 2008, Grandy-Mock has 20 years of financial services industry experience.
Steward-Young and Grandy-Mock both were instrumental in the delivery of the Bank’s $32 billion Community Commitment and driving the bank’s outstanding CRA rating. They together will run daily operations of Community and Economic Development.