Company: ATB Financial, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Company Description: At ATB Financial, we put people first. We've been doing it for more than 75 years. In that time, we've grown from one small Treasury Branch to become the largest Alberta-based financial institution, with assets of $43.1 billion. Today, 5,300 team members help more than 710,000 customers in 244 Alberta communities.
Nomination Category: Management Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Executive of the Year - Banking

Nomination Title: Dave Mowat, President & CEO

Tell the story about what this nominated executive has achieved since 1 January 2014 (up to 650 words). Describe the impact he or she has had on your organization. Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms.

Dave Mowat is not your typical banker. He loves the idea of transforming banking to make it work FOR people and to do that, he’s not afraid to be a bit different. By doing things differently, like engaging directly with customers, and listening to employees, and becoming the face of the organization, Dave Mowat led ATB to its best financial results ever last year – with a net profit of $276 million.

Mowat has changed the culture at ATB over his seven years, from a staid and safe bureaucracy –to an innovative, responsive and effective bank. “He will never not return a phone call,” says one ATB employee. “He listens to you and genuinely cares,” says another. Mowat, true to form, is loath to take too much credit: “There was always a culture to serve customers, but I don’t think it was enunciated very well,” he says. “We’ve worked hard at making the organization consistent.” Despite his humility, Mowat is the bank’s leader, its biggest cheerleader and its primary marketing tool.

In 2014, ATB moved into new headquarters that do not look like a typical bank with open offices and collaborative spaces. The company also launched a non-traditional in-house creative advertising campaign featuring Dave saying “C’mon down and try us.” The ads – everywhere from conventional media to YouTube to Facebook to sponsorships – were cheeky, and fun, and reflected a “new Alberta”.

An Albertan who cares about Alberta and Albertans

In the last year, ATB supported Alberta communities with $10.5 million in donations and sponsorships in areas of community and social development, sports and wellness, arts and culture, and scholarships and bursaries.
• Upon receiving his recent Alberta Business Person of the Year award, Dave first talked about dogswithwngs.ca, a charity close to his heart that trains dogs for blind and autistic children. Dave introduced his foster dog, Vaugn, who will be entering the program soon.
• Dave is a member of 100 Men Who Give A Damn! of Calgary, a group who meet quarterly to choose one charity to receive $100 from each or $10,000.
• Dave also advises and chairs for local non-profits, universities, and business councils, too numerous to include in this entry.

Not Just About the Numbers

“When you read a news release about a financial institution’s fiscal year, it can come off pretty dry”, says Dave Mowat, “Customers aren’t very impressed with increased profits if they see them coming on the backs of themselves or the team members who serve them. While our net income is the best we’ve ever had, we’ve achieved it in the same year that our team members have said they are more engaged and our customers have said they are happier with us.”

• ATB’s accomplishments in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2015:
• ATB’s annual engagement survey of its team members hit 84 per cent, the organization’s highest ever and one of the top results in Canada.
• ATB attracted nearly 36,000 new customers and at the same time achieved its highest-ever customer advocacy score.
• ATB Financial recorded a net income of $328.7 million—the highest in the history of the Alberta-based financial institution.
Overcoming Oil

Despite the volatility of oil prices and the impacts to the Alberta economy, Dave remains optimistic. “Alberta’s oil patch has never been in better financial shape than it is right now. And if you look at the businesses who supply the patch, if you add up their loans and their deposits, they actually have more money on deposit than they have on loans right now collectively.

Dave was recently selected to lead Alberta's oil royalty review for the four million-plus owners of Alberta's natural resources.

The Future

“ATB enters the current period of economic uncertainty in Alberta in our strongest shape ever. Strongest in terms of the team members we have, the calibre of our customers and the strength of our finances,” Dave Mowat.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) of the chief accomplishments of this nominated executive since the beginning of 2014.

By doing things differently, like engaging directly with customers, and listening to employees, and becoming the face of the organization, Dave Mowat led ATB to its best financial results ever last year – with a net profit of $276 million.

• Upon receiving his recent Alberta Business Person of the Year award, Dave first talked about dogswithwngs.ca, a charity close to his heart that trains dogs for blind and autistic children. Dave introduced his foster dog, Vaugn, who will be entering the program soon.
• Dave is a member of 100 Men Who Give A Damn! of Calgary, a group who meet quarterly to choose one charity to receive $100 from each or $10,000.
• Dave also advises and chairs for local non-profits, universities, and business councils, too numerous to include in this entry.

ATB’s accomplishments in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2015:

• ATB’s annual engagement survey of its team members