The ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking recognized 178 graduates on Friday, awarding Stonier diplomas and Wharton leadership certificates. ABA Chair-Elect Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank in Salt Lake City, delivered the keynote address for the online graduation ceremony.
Anderson addressed diversity, equity and inclusion and told the graduates that more needs to be done to empower employees and customers, especially those who have been traditionally left behind, and that “your generation of bankers will be at the forefront of moving the banking industry into a new and much more diverse, inclusive and equitable future.”
“When a minority community has been disadvantaged for many decades, in some cases hundreds of years, we need to do more than simply provide equal opportunity,” Anderson said. “We need to proactively uplift and encourage, and eliminate any vestige of racism or discrimination within our organizations—and we will be better businesses for it.”
This year, Stonier was held virtually with 541 students attending six days of online classes, and representing banks of all sizes and geographies, various regulatory agencies and international organizations.
