From its beginning in 1963 as a regional retail bank based in Southern California, East West Bank has grown into a $23+ billion enterprise—and, says Forbes.com, one of the ten best banks in the United States. As one of the very few US banks with a direct presence in Greater China, East West Bank has become a formidable commercial banking player in both countries and a trusted advisor to companies and investors seeking to do business across the US-China bridge.

Supersede to succeed. Despite unique dual-market advantages and record year-over-year earnings, the bank’s brand still reflected its community-based retail banking beginnings instead of its current strategic focus. Starting with a work session that involved the bank’s 24 top executives, we challenged East West Bank to own its success and rethink how it told its U.S.-China story. From the sales process and customer profiling to investor communications and even talent attraction, the shift in narrative had far-ranging implications.

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“Prior to engaging with us, East West Bank’s leadership had articulated a vision of being the premier financial bridge between East and West. We t

– Matthew Kruchko

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