Full Name
Leslie Higgison
Job Title
SVP, Retail Physical Channels
Company
Comerica Bank
Speaker Bio
Leslie joined Comerica in June 2023 and leads a talented team who define and deliver the strategy for Retail and Small Business delivery through banking center and ATM channels, including distribution, customer experience, workforce planning, and internal communications.
Prior to joining Comerica, Leslie served in leadership roles at Truist Bank focused on building net new enterprise programs and driving greater business value. She was the Head of Strategic Initiatives and Business Performance Optimization for the Retail and Small Business Bank. In this role she led the prioritization and strategic execution of highest priority initiatives across the Retail and Small Business Bank aligned to the strategic plan and drove accountability for achieving strategic business results. This included building from the ground up an enterprise program to execute a net new strategy and way of working that focused on celebrating those who care for their communities, all tied to a five-year growth target and served as the cornerstone of Truist’s branding.
Previously, she was the Head of Strategic Enablement and Optimization supporting transformation of operations functions for Deposits, Payments, Retail and Commercial Lending, Card, and Default Management. This included an end-to-end approach to the discovery, prioritization, and solution design of strategic continuous improvement and transformation opportunities. Additionally, she had responsibility for program governance, change management, teammate-led innovation, and internal service desks supporting retail and commercial lending. In this role she was critical in delivering integration activities in the merger between BB&T and SunTrust for one of the largest and most complex business units. Together the team made a lasting impact on the process orientation and continuous improvement mindset of the organization.
Additional experience includes the redesign and mobilization of evolving enterprise frameworks such as Corporate Operational Risk Management, Third Party Risk Management, Model Risk Management, Enterprise Recovery and Resolution Planning, and Credit Review. She also led the Business Control Office for the Consumer Segment supporting Consumer Banking, Consumer Lending, Private Wealth, Mortgage, Operations, and Digital, including on-site Branch quality control and lending quality review functions.
Earlier in her career, Leslie was a Manager at KPMG providing assurance and advising clients on a broad range of topics such as process redesign and transformation, supervisory readiness, enterprise risk, technology strategy, and global program delivery. She also served on the national instructor team, providing client delivery perspectives for early and emerging talent.
Leslie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia earning Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Management Information Systems and Marketing. Leslie is a native of Atlanta where she and her family are based. Their family motto is to choose joy in all things, and Leslie finds particular joy in reading, entertaining, and hearing the sound of the ocean as often as she can.
Prior to joining Comerica, Leslie served in leadership roles at Truist Bank focused on building net new enterprise programs and driving greater business value. She was the Head of Strategic Initiatives and Business Performance Optimization for the Retail and Small Business Bank. In this role she led the prioritization and strategic execution of highest priority initiatives across the Retail and Small Business Bank aligned to the strategic plan and drove accountability for achieving strategic business results. This included building from the ground up an enterprise program to execute a net new strategy and way of working that focused on celebrating those who care for their communities, all tied to a five-year growth target and served as the cornerstone of Truist’s branding.
Previously, she was the Head of Strategic Enablement and Optimization supporting transformation of operations functions for Deposits, Payments, Retail and Commercial Lending, Card, and Default Management. This included an end-to-end approach to the discovery, prioritization, and solution design of strategic continuous improvement and transformation opportunities. Additionally, she had responsibility for program governance, change management, teammate-led innovation, and internal service desks supporting retail and commercial lending. In this role she was critical in delivering integration activities in the merger between BB&T and SunTrust for one of the largest and most complex business units. Together the team made a lasting impact on the process orientation and continuous improvement mindset of the organization.
Additional experience includes the redesign and mobilization of evolving enterprise frameworks such as Corporate Operational Risk Management, Third Party Risk Management, Model Risk Management, Enterprise Recovery and Resolution Planning, and Credit Review. She also led the Business Control Office for the Consumer Segment supporting Consumer Banking, Consumer Lending, Private Wealth, Mortgage, Operations, and Digital, including on-site Branch quality control and lending quality review functions.
Earlier in her career, Leslie was a Manager at KPMG providing assurance and advising clients on a broad range of topics such as process redesign and transformation, supervisory readiness, enterprise risk, technology strategy, and global program delivery. She also served on the national instructor team, providing client delivery perspectives for early and emerging talent.
Leslie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia earning Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Management Information Systems and Marketing. Leslie is a native of Atlanta where she and her family are based. Their family motto is to choose joy in all things, and Leslie finds particular joy in reading, entertaining, and hearing the sound of the ocean as often as she can.
