By Joe Souder, Principal, Christian Wyatt Group
Across the banking industry, a quiet but significant leadership gap is emerging: the disappearance of experienced, mid-career talent.
At a time when many community and regional banks are preparing for CEO and C-level retirements, they are finding that the next generation of leaders — those in their 30s and 40s with 10–20 years of experience — are increasingly absent from the bench.
So where are they going? And more importantly, what can banks do to attract, retain, and develop this critical tier of future leadership?
The Mid-Career Exodus: What’s Driving It
- Fintech and Non-Bank Opportunities: Many rising leaders are being lured away by fintechs, private equity-backed lenders, and embedded finance startups promising equity, speed, and innovation.
- Lifestyle Priorities: Hybrid work, geographic flexibility, and mission-driven cultures are pulling talent out of traditional banking institutions that have been slower to adapt.
- Stalled Advancement Paths: In some banks, flat structures and long-tenured senior leaders have created logjams that discourage ambitious mid-level executives from waiting their turn.
- Regulatory & Bureaucratic Fatigue: Leaders who once thrived on complex banking environments are now seeking more agile, entrepreneurial settings.
Why It Matters
Without a strong cohort of mid-career professionals, banks face:
- Shallow internal successor pools
- Overreliance on aging leadership
- Difficulty adapting to market shifts and digital demands
- Cultural disconnects between generations
This isn’t just a talent issue — it’s a strategic risk.
What Forward-Thinking Banks Are Doing
- Actively Re-Recruiting Internal Talent: Instead of assuming loyalty, top banks are investing in leadership development, mentoring, and career pathing.
- Modernizing Culture: Promoting flexibility, innovation, and transparency — even in legacy environments.
- Repositioning Roles: Making lending, credit, and operations roles more entrepreneurial and strategic to attract younger leaders.
- Targeted External Recruiting: Proactively identifying and courting mid-career candidates from fintechs, other banks, or even adjacent industries.
How We Help
At Christian Wyatt Group, we work with banks to not only fill key executive roles, but also to help design and support leadership pipelines.
Whether you’re:
- Looking to rebuild your next generation bench
- Planning succession for your C-suite
- Or struggling to attract high-potential talent into critical roles
…we can help you find the right leaders before they leave the industry entirely.
Recent example: We partnered with a $1.4B rural community bank to recruit a Chief Banking Officer from out of market after they had exhausted local talent options.