BANKING
BULLISH ON BANKING Despite some unrest, leader of the Arizona Bankers Association sees hope on the 2021 skyline By ERIN THORBURN
A
t his core, Paul Hickman, president and CEO of the Arizona Bankers Association, is a hopeful person. He believes that good intentions, ambition, and hard work will get you to where you’re going in his industry. And, when it comes to his positive outlook, Hickman carries optimism over to what lies ahead for Arizona’s banking industry in 2021. But, it’s not simply his uplifting attitude and demeanor that Hickman enacts when looking ahead. As a decade-long lobbyist for Arizona’s banking industry, navigating the recession and now a pandemic, Hickman has developed the innate ability to predict and adapt to whatever challenges and trends culminate within the market. Az Business: There has been talk of new community banks opening in Arizona. What does this de novo activity mean for Arizona consumers and what does it mean for the state’s banking industry? Paul Hickman: I think it’s a good thing, frankly. We don’t look at it as merely more competition, since more competition is actually better for us. We see the activity as making us better bankers. And in terms of consumer impact, it can only be good. It’s more choices. In terms of the human resources component, there are more options there as well. Arizona’s got a great labor pool 98
AB | November - December 2020
Paul Hickman