‘You get to help people get where they want to go.?
That’s what David P. Lamb has ‘always loved? about the banking industry he’s been a part of for nearly 29 years.
On May 1, Lamb will begin helping local people achieve their goals and dreams when he takes over as the new president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Oxford Bank and the Oxford Bank Corporation.
‘It’s a great opportunity,? said the 52-year-old Superior Township resident.
Lamb’s appointment was announced last week. He was the president and CEO of Hantz Holdings, Inc. and Hantz Bank in Southfield. He had held those positions from April 2008 until just recently.
Prior to that, he was a senior vice president at Fifth Third Bank, the 11th largest bank in the United States. He spent six years there.
Lamb is excited about being able to help Oxford Bank, founded in 1884, as it continues to rebuild itself following the financial and banking crisis of 2007-09.
‘We want to build a sustainable bank,? he said. ‘No one at Oxford Bank, from shareholders to board members, wants to go through that again.?
He believes the oldest bank in Oakland County did an ‘incredible job? just staying in business through those ‘difficult times.?
‘They really are survivors,? Lamb said.
One of the keys to helping Oxford Bank thrive going forward is the fact that it’s a ‘community bank.?
‘We’re not going to be a mini-version of Bank of America or a mini-version of a Chase (Bank) because you can’t win that game,? Lamb said. ‘We have to do something different and something better than they can do.?
‘Almost by definition, the community bank should be able to provide better, more personalized service to clients,? he continued. ‘That’s the advantage of our size and community presence.?
Customers want ‘convenience? and ‘advice,? according to Lamb, and that should be the bank’s focus in his view.
For example, many people are caring for their elderly parents these days and this includes managing their finances.
Oxford Bank could help them figure out ways to better do that using a bill-paying system that ensures everything gets paid on time, according to Lamb.
‘We have to have people (at the bank) who first, sincerely want to help people and then we have to have ways to help people,? he said. ‘If you don’t have that culture, it’s a really tough way to go.?
Lamb plans to acquaint himself with the Oxford area by meeting with various community organizations and engaging in one-on-one visits with bank clients.
‘I think the best way to introduce yourself to a community is (to) just get out and see people,? he said. ‘All politics is local and all banking is local, too, in the end.?
During his career, Lamb worked at NBD Bank/First Chicago NBD/Bank One for 10 years and Great Lakes Bancorp, a $3 billion Savings and Loan that’s now part of TCF, for four years. He began his career in September 1986 as an examiner for the Federal Home Loan Bank, which was the primary regulator of Savings and Loans.
On a personal note, Lamb grew up in Livonia and graduated from Churchill High School in 1981. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Ohio State University in 1986 and a master’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University in 1991.
He’s been married to his wife, Christine, since 1992 and the couple resides on a 19-acre piece of property in the very rural Superior Township, which is near Ann Arbor.
In his spare time, Lamb is a gentleman farmer who tends to 25 apple and pear trees while dabbling in aquaculture ? the farming of aquatic organisms ? with his pond. He raises catfish.
Lamb plans to move here.
‘I will get a place in Oxford,? he said. ‘I’m going to be spending a lot of time there and it’s hard to be in the community if you don’t stay in the community.?