Umpqua Bank Names Käthe Anchel EVP, Head of Innovation
Bank adds fintech leader to accelerate Human Digital banking strategy
PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ), announced today that it has named Käthe Anchel the bank’s first head of innovation. Anchel, a leader in the area of fintech customer experience, will lead Umpqua’s innovation team under Rilla Delorier, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, with a focus on building a network of strategic partnerships to accelerate the development and delivery of Umpqua’s Human Digital banking strategy.
According to Delorier, Anchel’s addition marks an important next step in advancing Umpqua’s ability to offer digital solutions that provide a smart, personalized customer experience across all segments.
“Umpqua believes that human relationships and expertise are central to the best banking relationships, which is why Käthe is a terrific fit to help us advance our Human Digital banking strategy,” said Delorier. “Käthe’s career at some of the country’s most innovative companies has focused on building more human, transformative customer experiences through technology. She’s also done amazing work establishing strategic partnerships that leverage outside expertise to design solutions that enhance customer experience and strengthen brand loyalty. We’re thrilled to have someone of her caliber helping to drive our strategy forward.”
Last November, Umpqua unveiled its Human Digital banking strategy, which uses technology to make banking more personal, consultative and scalable. The bank has now successfully launched Umpqua Go-To™, the industry’s first Human Digital banking platform, which gives every customer a personal banker devoted to their financial needs. The addition of Anchel comes as Umpqua Go-To™ becomes available to all customers, and the bank pursues strategic partnerships that will enable it to continue evolving the platform while developing new offerings for customers. In 2019, Anchel’s focus will be on building internal innovation practices and external partnerships that empower Umpqua to continue redefining the customer experience across all segments.
Before joining Umpqua, Anchel served as director of product management at Citi FinTech, the innovation and experimentation arm of Citi Bank. In that role, she oversaw the rapid testing, evolution and delivery of new consumer products. She managed similar initiatives as head of U.S. consumer solutions at PayPal and at eBay Enterprise, where she led the user experience group for one of the world’s leading eCommerce platforms. An advocate of financial health, Anchel also advises start-ups in the financial literacy space, especially those focused on equipping families with the tools needed to teach life-long financial empowerment to young people.
About Umpqua Bank
Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation, and has locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for eight years in a row on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the country’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and was recently named by The Portland Business Journal as the “Most Admired Financial Services Company” in Oregon for the thirteenth consecutive year. In addition to its retail banking presence, Umpqua Bank also owns Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc., a nationally recognized commercial finance company that provides equipment leases to businesses. A subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation, Umpqua Investments, Inc., provides retail brokerage and investment advisory services in offices throughout Washington, Oregon, and California.
Media Contact:
Kurt Heath
503-219-6124
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