About Robert J. Ellis

Robert J. Ellis, or Bob as he is known to his clients, is unlike most other consultants. Financial services executives value him as a trusted advisor because he understands their challenges and utilizes his insights and experience to develop creative solutions that result in lasting client value. An industry visionary, 20 years ago Bob conceived of financial services relationships where there was a balance between the fees earned by the financial services firm and the value perceived by the client, resulting in the creation of long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships. Maximum convenience to the client was one of the hallmarks of that vision.

For over 20 years, Bob has been a leader and pioneer in the financial services industry. His expertise has guided firms in the areas of strategic planning, operational optimization, client management, segmentation and direct response marketing, remote customer servicing, and sales management. Through the creative combination of these competencies, Bob is able generate new thinking and actionable solutions that lead to results for both new financial services initiatives and troubled companies alike.

As Principal of Fast Track Advisors, LLC, Bob puts his financial services vision to work by advising commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, and brokerage firms. In the last two years, Bob has been sought out by a large national insurance company to develop and implement a specialty retail bank and investment group, where he focused on product development, operating systems, and legal/regulatory issues. Two large international investment banks secured Bob's expertise to build customer profitability and CRM systems, and to lead business process redesign efforts that encompassed PMO project charter design, training, and communications.

Additionally, Bob's initiatives have led to the implementation of a new operational risk analysis process resulting in reduction in risk-reserve capital (Basel II) for a global card, payments and banking company. In the realm of strategy, Bob prepared strategic and technological assessments and planning for a $30 billion investment consulting firm, and developed and implemented a strategic plan for a regional brokerage firm transitioning to third generation management.

Bob's renown as an expert in the financial services industry began with a lengthy tenure of achievements at Hibernia Bank in New Orleans, where he rose from Senior Vice President, Alternative Sales Manager, to Senior Vice President, Delivery Channel Manager, to Executive Vice President, Private Client Group Manager. While at Hibernia, Bob developed a new approach for serving the bank's most profitable customers with integrated sales management and customer-centric delivery. His group managed numerous divisions, including Investments, Asset Management, Personal Trust, Institutional Trust, Life Insurance, and Client Advisory Services.

Bob's vision and leadership resulted in significant profitability for Hibernia. In one year, the Private Client Group generated $58 million in revenue and earned $25 million in direct profit. He managed one of the top-rated bank broker/dealers in the U.S. in terms of profitability and sales per broker, and operated the largest asset management operation in the Gulf South. He promoted and expanded the family of Hibernia mutual funds, growing to $1.1 billion under his management, and rebuilt the bank's life insurance operation to focus on high net-worth customers.

Following his string of successes at Hibernia, Bob moved to a two-year stint at Alliance Bank, where he was brought on to rebuild a troubled $250 million trust operation and develop a new brokerage program for this $800 million community bank in Syracuse, New York. Quickly, Bob applied his unique brand of thought leadership to restart new business acquisition and stop customer attrition by adding over $40 million in 50 new trust accounts, leading to an overall increase of 44% in total trust assets. In addition, he developed a new brokerage group with profits of over $20,000 per month and implemented an innovative online trust accounting and review system to lower costs by $100,000 per year.

Recognized by the financial services industry as an innovative leader, Bob has been featured in publications, appeared on radio and television programs, and delivered keynote addresses for conferences. He served as an editorial board member for Call Centre Management's international scholarly journal. He holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Bob also serves as an Adjunct Professor at a prestigious undergraduate business school, teaching Financial Services Management and Principles of Electronic Commerce. When not going the extra mile for his clients, Bob enjoys racquetball, collecting stock certificates, travel, and writing fiction under a pseudonym.