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is past November, Bell Bank announced that Jesse
Schwab had joined the organization as its new Chief Risk
Officer. In that role, Schwab oversees all of Bell's non-
credit-related risk management.
Formerly a private practice attorney
focusing on consumer protection and
bankruptcy, Schwab joined Bell after
spending six years with TCF Bank. ere, he
established TCF's Regulatory Affairs Office
and became the bank's Chief Compliance
Officer and Director of Regulatory Affairs.
He focused on areas such as consumer
compliance, fair lending practices, and
Community Reinvestment Act concerns.
With a few months under his belt in
this new position, Schwab spoke with DS
News about his priorities and goals, the state
of the regulatory landscape under a new
presidential administration, and why he's
a firm believer in being proactive when it
comes to risk management and compliance.
WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR
TOP GOALS AND PRIORITIES AS
YOU TOOK OVER THE CHIEF RISK
OFFICER POSITION?
When you look at top goals, you must
be nimble and understand the organization's
needs. I look at risk management as a strategic
enabler. A strong program will give the
bank, board, management, and stakeholders
the information they need about risks and
opportunities to influence strategy, influence
business processes, and manage risk—really, to
drive better business performance.
So, when I look at the major goal that we
have over the next year, it's building a risk
framework designed to support the bank's
Cover Story By: David Wharton
THE
STRATEGIC
VALUE OF RISK
MANAGEMENT
Bell Bank's Chief Risk Officer, Jesse Schwab, on why developing a risk framework is
about "setting the guardrails" to allow for growth in a responsible manner.
