Client Testimonials

 Jay and Michelle have worked with us on Strategic Planning, Capital Planning, and Deposit Capture programs, in addition to facilitating board and management sessions. Usually when people come in and do these things, they suggest large initiatives that make a big splash and then leave. After which, everything goes back to normal.
Instead, we are in constant phone contact with them – running things by their team and tapping them for ideas. Plus, they visit our bank quarterly to follow up on our performance and keep our strategic activities moving along. As a result, we have been better equipped to stay focused on our strategic objectives and are pleased with our association with them. 

G.C. (Kin) Kinney III
Executive Vice President & Chief Deposit Officer
M&F Bank

 I've been a bank board member for nearly 20 years and have attended plenty of presentations. Jay Brew impressed me the farthest in terms of his grasp of true strategic planning. Shortly after I saw him speak, I ordered his book on the subject. And after I read it, I ordered one for each director, and more.
Recently, we invited him out to facilitate our strategic planning session. Most people put their SWAT up on the board, talk about next year, and then invite us out for cocktails. Jay’s philosophy, however, is long-term. He forced us to think down the road about what we have to do to achieve our desired value. He brought out some interesting thoughts, gave us good ideas, and when he walked out of the room, we had consensus. Several of my directors commented that this was the best strategic planning session we've ever had. I agree. 

David Price
Chairman of the Board
Fresno First Bank

 Michelle and Jay facilitated our board through many strategic initiatives, and based on their work, we're making great strides with some monumental goals. Plus, we're still using their session reports and materials a year after completing the strategic planning process. Our board even asked for updated copies for this year's strategic review. That's a real testament to the quality of their work. 

Nick DiCerbo
Director, Chairman Strategic/Executive Committee
Community Bank System, Inc.

 When you hire someone to help with strategic planning, you expect sound advice. Jay Brew brought a lot of industry knowledge so our directors could get a feel for what's going on around the country. Plus, his team profiled our home state so we could factor in our own economic circumstances and focus on what really needed attention.

The entire process was good. He surveyed all participants prior to the meeting to determine how close — or how far apart — we were on issues. Then he used that input during the session to pull us all together. Ultimately, he brought a lot of reality to the table and, according to my board, facilitated the best strategic planning session we've ever had. 

Michael Tierney
President & CEO
Peoples State Bank

 My bank recently relocated our main office headquarters and has subsequently decided to restructure our liability (deposit) mix. Our bank had a high concentration of CDs, with a high cost, in a competitive market. Jay Brew helped us put together two programs that were very successful. With Jay, we are now focused primarily on a higher rate statement savings account and checking account promotions. In fact, we have opened many more deposit accounts than we had before. I'll continue to call Jay to plan our next steps, as he can see our strengths and weaknesses, and use his 30+ years of experience and ideas to help improve our bank. 

Edward Fischer
President & CEO
Dearborn Savings Bank

 We've engaged in a formal strategic planning process for 16 years; so I am always looking for new and refreshing ways to address a familiar process. Jay Brew and his team brought a credible background and experience in the industry. But more importantly, they were able to marry outside circumstances with our particular needs to make our session contextually and institutionally appropriate. Over a two-day period, they elicited good feedback from our 17-person board as we assessed where the company is and where the industry is going. Together, we brought appropriate focus to important matters and made good decisions throughout the process. 

Hugh S. Potts Jr.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
M&F Bank

 For years, we tried strategic planning both internally and with other consultants, but it didn't work. Michelle Gula and Jay Brew, however, really got to know us and our bank. Together, we created a 10-year plan with eight very specific goals ranging from expansion and succession planning to reducing our tax burden. They looked at everything. And everyone, from my board to my management team found it highly productive. Three years later, we're still following it – successfully. 

Robert Baldwin
Chairman & CEO
Edgewater Bank