Regions Financial Corporation has announced that chief operating officer John Owen will retire effective March 15, 2021, following a nearly 38-year distinguished career in business and banking.
Owen has spent the past 13 years at Regions, joining the Birmingham-based company in 2007 as head of Operations and Technology. In 2009, he was named head of Regions’ Consumer Services group. He later served two years as head of Business Lines, which included the Business Services, Consumer Services, Consumer Lending and Wealth Management groups.
In 2014, Owen was selected to lead the company’s Regional Banking group, and he later served as head of Enterprise Services and Consumer Banking before being named COO in 2018. In this role, Owen’s leadership has reportedly guided the bank’s Enterprise Operations, Information Technology, Data and Analytics, Corporate Real Estate and Procurement, Corporate Marketing and Digital Banking groups, as well as Regions’ company-wide Continuous Improvement initiatives to drive greater efficiency, accelerate revenue growth and make banking easier for customers.
“John is a visionary leader who embraces every opportunity to deliver competitive financial services that meet the needs of today’s customers,” stated Regions president and CEO John Turner.
“Together with the rest of our Executive Leadership Team, John has helped position Regions for long-term growth and continued innovation,” he continued. “He has been on the front lines for our customers, including working tirelessly this year to support our services for people and communities impacted by COVID-19. We wish John all the best as he retires, and we thank him sincerely for his many years of dedicated service.”
According to a company release, Regions under Owen’s leadership has consistently evolved how the bank serves consumers, such as unveiling an overhauled and upgraded Regions Mobile App for both iOS and Android devices earlier this year. Additionally, Regions Bank was recently ranked first among regional banks in the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Online Banking Satisfaction Study. During Owen’s tenure, Regions has also received recognition as a Javelin Trust in Banking leader and a top company for overall customer experience as ranked by various research firms.
“Over the last several years, our teams at Regions Bank have made significant progress in delivering new tools and services to help our customers reach their financial goals – while also positioning our company for continued growth and success,” Owen said in a statement. “These accomplishments are not the result of any one individual. Rather, they are the result of a dedicated team of professionals who bring their best on behalf of our clients every day. It has been an honor to serve Regions and its customers over the last 13 years, and I look forward to seeing Regions build on its foundation for success in the years to come.”
Active in his community, Owen has served on the boards of directors for the Birmingham Business Alliance, Innovation Depot and the United Way of Central Alabama, as well as the advisory board for the UAB Collat School of Business.
Before joining Regions, he was CEO of Atlanta-based Assurant Specialty Property. Previously, Owen was senior vice president of Global Systems Development for Citicorp Credit Services, chief information officer of North American Operations for Arrow Electronics and senior vice president of technology for American Airlines. His career began in the Information Systems division of McDonnell-Douglas in 1983.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
