ABA Chairman John Ikard today announced that ABA has selected Rob Nichols to serve as the association’s new president and CEO. Nichols will join ABA later this summer upon Frank Keating’s retirement after five years at the helm. Nichols, a former assistant secretary at the Treasury Department, is currently president and CEO of the Financial Services Forum.
“Rob Nichols will be a superb leader of the ABA,” said Ikard, who is also president and CEO of FirstBank Holding Co., Lakewood, Colo. “The banking industry is undergoing a great deal of change. We sought a visionary, strategic leader with demonstrated public policy acumen, a keen understanding of the entirety of the banking and financial system, and a strong track record of both strategic management and bipartisan advocacy. Rob Nichols hits the mark on all counts, and we are delighted that he will be leading our organization.”
“I am deeply honored to take on the responsibility of leading the ABA,” said Nichols. “The nation’s economic growth prospects depend on banks of all sizes and models in order to effectively serve the needs of local communities, clients and customers. The ABA is uniquely positioned to rigorously make this case to legislative, regulatory and administration audiences. I look forward to the opportunity of serving the ABA and will work tirelessly with members and the state bankers associations to improve the public policy environment in which all banks operate.”
Ikard saluted Keating for his service, noting that he “accepted this position during very difficult and trying economic times for our nation and for our nation’s banks” and “did a superb job of rallying our members, celebrating the key role they play in the vitality of their communities and the economy as a whole.”
Prior to leading the Financial Services Forum, Nichols was for more than four years assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs during the George W. Bush administration. He was previously communications director for the Electronics Industries Alliance and a senior aide on Capitol Hill.
