SFO Consultants is a boutique transformational consulting firm focused on delivering Business Strategy and Operational Excellence advisory services to Community Financial Services including Community Banks, Regional Banks and Credit Unions.

1.
415.294.1110 | info@SFOconsultants.com | www.SFOconsultants.com | www.Optirate.com
Why
We
Do
What
We
Do?
We
believe
Community
Banks,
Regional
Banks
and
Credit
Unions
(cumulatively
referred
to
as
Community
FIs
or
FIs)
are
better
positioned
to
serve
Retail
and
Small
Business
customers
than
larger
banks
and
non-­‐bank
competitors.
We
believe
that
Community
FIs
can
create
strong
customer
loyalty,
while
in
parallel
growing
revenues
and
profitability
by
delivering
a
more
compelling
value
proposition.
We
believe
that
Retail
and
Small
Business
customers
–
when
presented
with
a
compelling
value
proposition
–
from
Community
FIs
will
embrace
the
offering
and
the
opportunity.
We
believe
that
Community
FIs
and
Retail
&
Small
Business
customers
want
to
engage
in
a
meaningful
banking
relationship,
yet
self-­‐imposed
roadblocks
–
many
from
the
Community
FIs
-­‐
continue
to
impede
the
natural
connection.
What
We
Do?
SFO
Consultants
is
a
unique
boutique
focused
on
transformational
consulting.
We
offer
unvarnished
truths
supported
by
fact-­‐based,
data
driven
analysis
and
insights.
We
are
unafraid
to
tell
the
truth,
with
the
objective
of
enabling
Community
FIs
gain
visibility
and
direction
to
greater
success.
We
focus
on
speed
to
action
along
with
fact-­‐based,
data
driven
analysis
that
create
the
right
Business
Strategy
for
your
FI,
Key
Performance
Metrics
that
inform,
and
Operational
Initiatives
that
deliver
quantifiable
value.
How
We
Do
It?
We
believe
that
the
best
decision
making
process
is
based
on
sound
data,
insightful
analytics
with
fact-­‐based
debate
about
strategic
options
and
implications
to
business
model,
customer
types,
capabilities,
customer
selection,
and
ability
to
compete.
Our
team
has
over
100
years
of
banking
and
consulting
expertise,
we
have
seen
and
worked
through
many
business
challenges,
and
know
what
it
takes
to
create
quantifiable
results.
We
work
closely
with
a
small
team
of
decision
makers
to
assess
the
opportunities
and
implications,
and
refine
the
Business
Strategy
until
it
meets
the
strategic,
financial
and
operational
expectations
of
the
senior
management
team
and
the
Board
of
Directors.
Further,
we
partner
with
our
clients
to
move
beyond
the
Strategic
Plan,
with
the
definition
and
execution
of
tactical
initiatives.
We
build
the
implementation
roadmap
so
that
the
FI
begins
to
recognize
tangible
and
quantifiable
value
within
weeks.

2.
415.294.1110 | info@SFOconsultants.com | www.SFOconsultants.com | www.Optirate.com
Why
Action
Is
Necessary
The
business
of
Retail
and
Small
Business
Banking
has
changed
much
in
just
the
last
five
to
ten
years.
Banks
are
under
pressure
to
deliver
services
seemingly
at
no
cost
to
the
customers
while
facing
incredible
threats
from
virtually
every
direction
including:
• Regulatory
Pressures
impacting
operating
costs
and
ability
to
generate
revenue.
• Changing
Technology
including
internal
and
customer
facing
applications
resulting
in
myriad
of
options,
few
of
which
demonstrate
real
ROI
but
many
of
which
have
become
“must
have
table
stakes”.
• Unrelenting
competitive
threat
from
traditional
competitors
and
non-­‐
banks,
including
large
banks,
Credit
Unions,
Smarty
Pig,
Prosper,
Lending
Club,
Simple,
Moven,
PayPal,
Square,
Green
Dot,
Wal-­‐Mart,
and
many
others.
• Weak
economy
and
a
weak
near-­‐term
outlook
resulting
in
anemic
revenue
growth
and
sub
hurdle-­‐rate
ROE.
Imitation
Is
The
Sincerest
Form
of
Flattery,
but
Will
It
Deliver
For
Your
FI?
Bank
executives
are
under
immense
pressure
to
do
something
to
improve
revenue
growth,
to
improve
ROE
and
to
find
a
way
to
satisfy
shareholders
who
are
clamoring
for
2x
–
3x
P/B
valuation
levels
not
seen
by
Banks
in
a
very
long
time.
Technology
vendors
and
industry
pundits
are
never
at
a
loss
for
new
ideas
that
will
“improve
engagement”
but
almost
all
fail
to
connect
the
dots
to
revenue
and
profitability.
PFM,
P2P
payments,
unbanked,
underbanked,
mobile
banking,
financial
literacy,
Free
Checking,
Prepaid,
Reward
Checking,
merchant
funded
rewards,
wealth
management,
Treasury
services,
payroll
services,
and
the
list
goes
on.
All
of
the
above
are
valuable
products,
but
not
all
of
them
are
valuable
for
every
Bank!
About
SFO
Consultants
SFO
Consultants
is
a
strategy
and
operational
excellence
advisory
firm
focused
on
helping
Financial
Services
executives
address
their
most
pressing
issues.
We
work
collaboratively
with
our
clients
leveraging
our
experience
and
fact-­‐based
analysis
to
create
strategies
and
tactical
initiatives
that
result
in
near-­‐term
and
long-­‐
term
growth
and
profitability.
Contact
us
for
a
Free
Consultation
at
415.294.1110
or
info@SFOconsultants.com
Key
Staff
Members
Serge
Milman
is
the
Principal
Consultant
of
SFO
Consultants.
Serge
is
a
recognized
leader
in
the
areas
of
strategy
development,
innovation,
business
profitability
measurement
&
improvement,
and
operational
performance
improvement.
Serge
has
served
clients
in
numerous
industries
&
sectors,
including
banks,
credit
unions,
insurance
companies,
brokerages,
credit
card
companies,
payment
processors,
airline
companies,
manufacturers,
universities,
and
technology
companies
during
his
more
than
20
year
career.
He
can
be
reached
by
phone
at
415.294.1110
and
via
email
at
serge.milman@SFOconsultants.com
“Banks
face
unprecedented
volume
of
challenges
at
ever
escalating
levels
of
complexity”
“The
days
of
3/6/3
are
well
behind
us;
Bankers
need
to
adapt
by
developing
a
comprehensive
strategy
and
an
implementation
plan
delivers
on
key
objectives”
“Internet
and
mobile
have
removed
many
of
the
competitive
advantages
enjoyed
by
Community
FIs
in
the
past.
The
competitive
landscape
will
continue
to
intensify,
and
customers
will
become
increasingly
demanding”