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Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks

Director

Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks is an expert in leader development, organizational change, organizational culture and inclusion. He provides FMG Leading’s clients access to a unique blend of wisdom and engagement. Possessing a deep scholastic knowledge of leadership related disciplines, Dr. Banks has also led award-winning teams in high stakes environments around the globe.

In addition to his role at FMG Leading, Dr. Banks is the Associate Dean for Leadership Development and Inclusion (and a Clinical Professor of Management) at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Prior to joining the Northwestern faculty, Dr. Banks served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. He retired from active duty with the rank of Brigadier General after having led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership in his final military assignment. In 1995, Dr. Banks was selected from over 40,000 officers to receive the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, the Army's top honor for early career stage managers.

Dr. Banks graduated from West Point with a B.S. in Political Science. He went on to earn Master’s degrees from Central Michigan University, Columbia University, and Harvard University. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College. Dr. Banks earned his Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University.

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EXPERIENCE

Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks is a Director at FMG Leading, a team of coaches and advisors that help executives create world class-organizations at the intersection of human capital performance and business strategy. Dr. Banks is an expert in leader development, organizational change, organizational culture and inclusion. He provides clients access to a unique blend of wisdom and engagement. In addition to a deep scholastic knowledge of leadership related disciplines, Dr. Banks has led award winning teams in high stakes environments around the globe.

Dr. Banks has worked extensively with organizations across all sectors concerning their leader development and change efforts. His past clients include Morgan Stanley, Procter and Gamble, Mercedes Benz, Microsoft, General Electric, IBM, 7-Eleven, U.S. Forest Service, Association of Chiefs of Police, and Goldman Sachs.

In addition to his role at FMG Leading, Dr. Banks is the Associate Dean for Leadership Development and Inclusion (and a Clinical Professor of Management) at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. As an Associate Dean, he is a member of the school’s senior leadership team. Dr. Banks possesses accountability for Kellogg’s leader development activities across the institution’s global portfolio of degree programs. Additionally, Dr. Banks is accountable for the generation, integration and implementation of DEI initiatives across Kellogg's varied stakeholder groups (i.e., students, faculty, staff, alumni, and organizational partners).

Dr. Banks retired from the U.S. Army as a Brigadier General after having successfully led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership for his final assignment. In addition to having studied leadership extensively, he has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to over 3,000 people. In 1995, Dr. Banks was selected from over 40,000 officers to receive the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. The MacArthur Award is the Army's top honor for early career stage managers. In 2006, the Apache Helicopter unit he was leading in South Korea was designated as the number one unit of its type globally in the U.S. Army’s annual best aviation unit competition (the Lieutenant General Ellis D. Parker Award). In addition to the aforementioned accomplishments, Dr. Banks was also the number one graduate from multiple military professional development courses (e.g., U.S. Army’s Ranger School and U.S. Army Helicopter Flight School).

BOARDS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Dr. Banks is deeply invested in his community. He is an active member of several civic and professional organizations (e.g., The Chicago Club, Harvard Club of NYC, Economic Club of Chicago, USO of Illinois, and the West Point Society of Chicago). Additionally, Dr. Banks sits on the board of directors for The Federal Savings Bank (a privately held and federally chartered bank) and The Anthos Group (a privately owned and vertically integrated company operating in the CBD industry).

PUBLICATIONS

Dr. Banks is a frequently published author. Examples of his published work include: “Does Your Company Actually Live Its Values” in Kellogg Insights (June 2018), “To Develop Cultural Dexterity Seek It Out” in Harvard Business Review (June 2016), and “Why Nike’s Pro Hijab Is More Than Politics” in Fortune Magazine (March 2017). His work has also been featured in Military Psychology and The New York Times.

ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Dr. Banks graduated from West Point with a B.S. in Political Science. He went on to earn Master’s degrees from Central Michigan University (General Administration), Columbia University (Organizational Psychology), and Harvard University (Leadership Studies). He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College. Dr. Banks earned his Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and is certified in the Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching methodology.

PERSONAL

When not working, Dr. Banks enjoys spending time with family and friends. He loves to play and watch sports, travel, read, and listen to music.

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