Understanding Banking Leadership Shifts in 2025
The 2025 banking talent landscape continues to shift in unexpected ways. Two Travillian resources—Brian Love, Head of Banking and Fintech at Travillian, and Michael Perito, Principal and Head of Bank Strategy—recently explored how financial institutions are navigating this evolving climate. Their insights offer key takeaways for board members, executive recruiters, and senior banking leaders alike.
The Banking Market After the ‘Trump Bump’
The year opened with a surge of optimism—what some dubbed the “Trump bump”—as equity markets rallied and banks eyed a rebound. But that early enthusiasm has faded into a more measured reality. While some public banks enjoyed a temporary lift, C-suite hiring has slowed. Today’s boards are making more deliberate choices, with a sharpened focus on risk, long-term strategy, and cultural alignment.
Continued Demand for C-Suite Executives
Despite the broader slowdown, demand for top executive talent—especially CEOs and CFOs—remains intense. Rising regulatory pressure, persistent rate uncertainty, and the slow grind of digital transformation are keeping these roles in the spotlight. Love and Perito cite recent placements in cities like Sacramento and Scranton, where boards are seeking not just operators, but strategic leaders and change agents.
Executive Relocation Challenges in Banking
One growing challenge: relocation. Executives are more rooted than ever, and with hybrid options widely accepted, many are unwilling to move. This reluctance is narrowing candidate pools for banks in smaller markets and prompting boards to rethink long-held assumptions. Flexibility—on both sides—has become essential to land top-tier talent.
Attracting Top Banking Talent: What Candidates Prioritize
Today’s candidates are not just job-seekers—they’re discerning partners. They prioritize culture, influence, and mission as much as compensation. Love and Perito emphasize that banks must present a clear and compelling story to attract high-caliber leaders. Hiring has become less about filling a seat, and more about building a shared future.
Banking’s “Breakfast Club” Parallel
Using a cinematic analogy, the Travillian commentators compare 2025’s banking sector to the 1985 ensemble film The Breakfast Club, which depicted a group of students forced to pause, reflect, and redefine themselves. Banks, too, are questioning outdated norms, experimenting with new models, and, at their best, emerging with renewed clarity. Some will evolve quickly; others may need more time.
Agile Banking Embraces Future Talent and Digital Skills
As the second half of 2025 unfolds, Love and Perito expect continued volatility—paired with opportunity. Boards are gradually opening up to candidates with unconventional résumés and nontraditional work preferences, especially in regions rich with local talent. Meanwhile, the demand is rising for CEOs and CFOs who bring both strategic insight and digital fluency.
Institutions that stay nimble—offering purpose, flexibility, and a compelling leadership vision—may find themselves well-positioned to make transformative hires in the months ahead.
Access the Full Banking Talent Talk Discussion
For a deeper look at the trends shaping executive hiring in 2025, access the full Talent Talk discussion with Love and Perito on Travillian Next.
