Commercial Banking and Technology Companies

Course Description

Lectures

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   Lecture 1 - Culture Trumps Strategy

   Building great corporate culture is more than just metaphors; it's what motivates a winning team. Most people at corporations in the US are unhappy, says Silicon Valley Bank CEO Ken Wilcox. But the organization can craft a pleasant and productive environment by hiring diverse and intelligent people and keeping them onboard. Knowing how to work together under an organization's guiding principals is critical. Past experience in commercial banking is not.

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   Lecture 2 - The History of Strategy in Commercial Banking

   Tech companies deposit about seven times the amount that they borrow. And at Silicon Valley Bank, recalls CEO Ken Wilcox, the methodology his venture has used to invest these excess deposits is a micro-history of commercial banking itself. Learn the lessons of the bank's lending in the 1980's to 1990's, and its investment in real estate developers and under-served niche markets.  Learn also how these plans failed to provide financial stability long-term.

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   Lecture 3 - Modern Prosperity in Commercial Banking

   Under Ken Wilcox's tutelage as CEO, Silicon Valley Bank has cashed in on a winning hand. He added a broker dealer of money market accounts to their existing commercial banking services with huge success. The bank now focuses exclusively on technology clients (save for a few holdovers from the premium wine vertical), and they've expanded their product suite to cater to this unique market appropriately. The institution altered its efforts to retain larger customers longer, and worldwide.

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   Lecture 4 - Make Money by Spending Less

   When the cost of doing business grew out of hand - elevating to 19 percent in 2006 - Ken Wilcox, Silicon Valley Bank's CEO, reeled it in.  By squeezing vendors, outsourcing labor and services, and removing unnecessary steps from business processes when it makes sense to do so, he managed to lower the rise of corporate expenses to just two percent in a single year.

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   Lecture 5 - Influencing Positive Corporate Culture

   Visiting with every single employee bank-wide, Silicon Valley Bank CEO Ken Wilcox believes that personal correspondence is one of the best ways to solidify satisfactory communication. In this clip, he also explains the bank's group evaluation practices, and discusses how peer evaluation is a boon to an enriching work environment.

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   Lecture 6 - The Offerings of a Commercial Bank

   In addition to a suite of banking products, a financial institution for a growing business offers numerous other services, says Silicon Valley Bank CEO Ken Wilcox. Way beyond simple checking and savings, a great commercial bank can offer a network of resources, such as advice on the logistics of company formation. And far beyond money management, the bank offers a powerful Rolodex of indispensable capital resources, a slew of service providers, and connections for investing in foreign markets.