Fifth Third Bank named executive vice president Kala Gibson chief enterprise corporate responsibility officer and head of business banking. His role is expanding to include responsibility for community and economic development.
“Our company has made tremendous strides over the past five years in the way we serve our communities,” Tim Spence, president of Fifth Third Bancorp, said. “Our community and economic development team has been at the forefront of driving this change, with long-tenured leaders working to strengthen our relationships within and across community organizations. I congratulate Kala on this recognition of his abilities, performance and leadership.”
With more than 30 years in the financial services industry, Gibson has experience in strategic planning, operations, regulatory compliance, product development and relationship management. He also has been a powerful voice in matters of community responsibility and accountability as well as social justice and broad social equity. He joined Fifth Third in 2011 as a business banking executive in Eastern Michigan and was named head of business banking in 2013.
His business banking leadership was integral to Fifth Third’s ability to deliver the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to more than 40,000 clients. In addition, he was a leader on the team that delivered the bank’s $32 billion community commitment. He also serves as chair of the bank’s executive diversity leadership council.
Fifth Third also promoted Stefanie Steward-Young to chief corporate social responsibility officer and Jada Grandy-Mock to chief corporate community and economic development officer. Steward-Young and Grandy-Mock both were instrumental in the delivery of the bank’s $32 billion community commitment and the driving of the bank’s outstanding CRA rating. Together, they will run daily operations of community and economic development.
Steward-Young will manage the bank’s response to the communities it serves and drive corporate social responsibility strategy, a facet of the bank’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. She has more than 20 years of financial service industry experience, including corporate and regional Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) leadership, commercial credit and branch management. Her new role will encompass corporate social responsibility, community giving, employee volunteerism and alignment with ESG and partners. She also will manage the service programs that help the bank meet its CRA requirements.
Grandy-Mock will manage Fifth Third’s community economic development (CED) strategies. In this role, she will have oversight of CRA compliance, CRA lending and investment strategy as well as development and implementation of CRA community engagement and partnerships. In addition, she will oversee the bank’s multicultural strategy. Grandy-Mock has 20 years of financial services industry experience. She joined Fifth Third in 2008. Her work was instrumental in multiple activities and initiatives designed to strengthen local communities and community stakeholder engagement. Her long banking career includes experience in commercial lending, credit risk management and regulatory compliance.
