Developed in partnership with the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, this one week school is designed to provide comprehensive training, allowing banks the opportunity to build bench strength within their commercial banking division.

Commercial Banking School Pre-Requisites 

A minimum of two years of commercial banking experience is required for all registrants.  Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis for individuals who have banking background with skills that translate to commercial banking (ex. consumer lending).  Contact Kristen Reid with further questions.

Agenda & Session Descriptions*

Monday, May 15

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Identifying Your Bank’s Strategy & Market Differentiators

In a competitive marketplace, your bank will need to develop a clear and compelling strategy to win commercial loan business based on elements that distinguish your offerings. In this session, you will learn how to identify and develop those differentiators and to apply strategic thinking in your pursuit of new business.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Evaluating Current Customers & Pursuing New Business

Commercial lenders often inherit a portfolio of customers and may not have the tools needed to properly evaluate the various pieces. In this session, you will learn how to properly examine current customers and what avenues you could pursue in order to generate new leads through business development activities.

Tuesday, May 16

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Calculating the Lifetime Value of a Lead

Success in commercial lending is built on winning long-term business. In this session, you will learn which variables to consider in calculating the lifetime value of potential leads and projecting how the relationship between your bank and your customers might evolve in fruitful ways.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Deepening Your Understanding of Your Clients and Their Future Opportunities

Success as a commercial lender requires that you be viewed as a “trusted advisor” by your clients. In this session, you will learn how to deepen your understanding of your client firm’s strategy in order to be able to anticipate their needs and develop offerings that meet those needs.

Wednesday, May 17

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Financial Accounting Basics

In this session, you will get answers to questions you might have been afraid to ask. We will explore balance sheets and income statements as well as audit opinions and tax returns. Our aim is to demystify these concepts for commercial lenders.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Credit Risks & Determining Appropriate Loan Structure

Truly understanding the purpose of the loan request is only the beginning. In this session, you will learn to conduct a credit risk assessment, identify a client’s repayment capacity and determine the appropriate collateral. We will also discuss covenants and common loan documents.

Thursday, May 18

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Negotiating Effectively and Earning Business

We know a great deal about what separates successful negotiators from average ones. In this session, you will learn a process for preparing to negotiate as well as tools to use during negotiations with internal and external stakeholders.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Servicing Loan Customers Over the Long Run

The most successful relationships between banks and their clients have many touchpoints. In this session, we will discuss how to better connect with leaders within your client organizations in order that you might innovate in partnership with those firms over the long-term horizon.

Friday, May 19

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Final Presentations 

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch & Graduation

*Agenda, topics and descriptions are subject to change

Meet the Faculty

Doug Bosse is Professor of Strategic Management and the David Meade White Jr. Chair in Business at the Robins School of Business at University of Richmond. He has more than 20 years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership alignment activities for executive teams. Prior to becoming a professor, Doug spent over ten years in corporate strategy consulting after beginning his career as a commercial banker. He has served clients ranging from large multinationals to small domestic firms, including American Electric Power, Allianz, BetterMed, Bon Secours, Duke Energy, and The Federal Reserve Bank. Doug received his Ph.D. from Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He is a University Distinguished Educator, Past-Chair of the Management Department, and Past-President of Richmond’s Faculty Senate.

Richard Coughlan serves as Faculty Director of Executive Education and Associate Professor of Management at the University of Richmond, where he teaches courses on negotiations, decision-making, and organizational behavior. A recipient of the University’s Distinguished Educator Award, he is also a facilitator and strategic advisor for dozens of corporate clients including CapTech, CarMax, Capital One, Dominion Energy, and Markel. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Richard arrived at Richmond after completing both an MBA and a Ph.D. in judgment and decision making at the University of Arizona. Prior to graduate school, he spent nearly five years in the hotel industry, culminating with a position on the management team at The Pebble Beach Resorts in California.

Gary Higgins has more than 25 years of experience as an accomplished trainer with expertise in Credit Risk Management, Commercial Lending, Credit Analysis and other credit related topics.  Gary is currently on the Faculty of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and the Virginia Bankers Association’s School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia. As an instructor to banking professionals of all skill levels, Gary is committed to teaching the fundamentals of credit risk followed by their application to advanced topics and current day credit environments. Specific focus is given to lessons learned from the most recent credit cycles, the causes of bank failures, credit risk control environments experienced thru the Great Recession and practical approaches credit professionals can use today to understand and limit credit risk. Gary had a 29-year career at Bank of America, encompassing 22 years in risk management and 7 years in commercial lending and credit risk management.

Abbie Sadler began her career at Ernst & Young (EY) in Tulsa, Oklahoma as an auditor after completing her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and her Master of Science in Business Administration – Accounting at Oklahoma State University. During her time at EY, Abbie applied complex accounting and auditing concepts to specific client situations for large public companies, including a Fortune 100 company. Abbie next worked as an underwriter for Chase Bank’s commercial banking division, where she completed a month-long intensive credit training program before assuming management of a portfolio of fifteen clients with annual revenues ranging from $20 – $500 million. Her role as an underwriter included structuring transactions to satisfy the needs of clients and the risk appetite of the bank. Abbie left the bank to pursue a career in academia. She completed her Ph.D. in Accounting from Oklahoma State University in May 2019 and was hired by the University of Richmond that same year. She currently teaches Federal Taxation I and Introduction to Financial Accounting at the Robins School of Business.

 Jonathan Whitaker is Department Chair of Analytics & Operations, Professor of Analytics & Operations, and Professor of Law (by courtesy) at the University of Richmond. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Whitaker worked in consulting and professional services with A.T. Kearney and Price Waterhouse (PwC), including projects in North America, Europe and Asia. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies such as Bank of America, DuPont, General Motors, NCR and Supervalu, and large privately-held firms such as Cargill. He has conducted academic projects at Charoen Pokphand (Thailand), Electrolux, Hospital Corporation of America, Rolls-Royce, and Volvo CE. The University of Richmond awarded Dr. Whitaker its 2017 Distinguished Educator Award. He earned a PhD from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BA from the University of Southern California.

Commercial Banking Registration Form & Tuition Information 

Tuition for the 2023 Commercial Banking School session is $1,595 for VBA members and $2,095 for non-members.

A completed registration form is required for admittance into the 2023 Commercial Banking School.  The form can be accessed here. 

Lodging Information

The VBA has reserved a block of rooms at the Home Suites by Hilton Richmond-West End/Innsbrook at the rate of $98/night, plus applicable taxes and fees.  To reserve a room, please click here.