STONIER 2012

LUIS G. LOBO

BB&T Executive Vice President

Multicultural Marketing Manager

2012 ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking

Wharton School of Business

University of Pennsylvania

Opening Remarks

June 2, 2012

Good morning!

Last year we learned a little Spanish, so let’s see if we remember it: “BUENOS DIAS”!

Buenos Dias everyone!

It is a distinct honor for me, my employer and my family to serve you and the ABA-Stonier organization as Chairman of the Board of Advisors. I am one of YOU, a graduate of the Stonier class of 1998.

I have been awed by the quality and dedication of our Board of Directors, our world-class faculty and our Stonier-ABA team. Please rise Board members, faculty and ABA team and accept our sincere congratulations.

The American Bankers Association at 126 years and The Stonier Graduate School of Banking at 77 years are the hallmark institutions in banking and leadership development in the world. On this day, today, we celebrate the high water mark in enrollment in over 20 years.

Leadership, and its twin, Ethics, have been magnified during the Great Recession. All of us gathered here today and everyone in our industry have the most significant opportunity since the Great Depression, to lead the

United States

, and thus the rest of the world out of this downturn. It is up to us, in our communities, to bring knowledge proactively on responsible home ownership (it is STILL the American dream), on family and individual financial planning, and commercial financial efficiency. We call this Financial Literacy ~~~ I call this involvement and trusted advice.

I am the son of an immigrant. My father told us that it was his purpose to give his children an American education. Nearly 45 years later and with a vast racial, cultural, and gender diversity within our borders, each of us here today is proof of the value of that widely held purpose.

The next 75 years of the Stonier impact began last year with our partnership with Wharton Professional Education, and we are mutually satisfied by it. You are here for a reason, we are all here for a reason, and it is because of the impact you will have within your organization and in your community.

Congratulations and Welcome!

It is now my pleasure and great honor to introduce John Allison, recently retired Chief Executive Officer of BB&T Corporation and now Professor of Practice at Wake Forest University in NC. Under his leadership of 20 years as CEO, BB&T grew from a NC centric farm bank of $4.5B to $158B6 over 13 states and the District of Columbia. During the downturn, BB&T was one of three large banks that did not report a financial loss in any quarter and was recently named one of the 20 best banks in the world, only three from the US. Most significant to me, he became my role model over 17 years ago and he taught me how to “think” – so John, any future screw-ups on my part and I will just blame you.

John is also one of YOU, a Stonier graduate from our days at Rutgers University.

Please join me in welcoming John Allison.