On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, the Jewish Business Network (JBN) hosted their monthly luncheon at Temple University’s Center City location (1515 Market St.) featuring guest speaker Bill Mills, Regional President of PNC Bank for Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (and, of note, Mills is on the Board of Trustees at Temple and stated he was happy to be visiting the Center City campus for the first time). Also, returning for the second month in a row was the catering of Mama’s Vegetarian.
To begin the program, Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, Executive Director of Jewish Heritage Programs, spoke about the day’s date being Second Passover (Pesach Sheni) for this year, and that was the reason there was matzah on each luncheon table – which all attendees were encouraged to enjoy. According to an online source: “Pesach Sheni reveals to those in Covenant with the Almighty God, that there is ‘always a second chance’, ‘never a lost case’, ‘nothing is impossible’ and ‘God is never too late’.” For more information about Pesach Sheni click here.
After being introduced by Harris Gubin, Lead Ambassador of JBN and Account Executive at First Contact HR, Mills took to the microphone and spoke about his Pennsylvania roots, his Ohio State schooling (and how he got his fellow Calculus classmates “rock star” seats at a football game he was playing in), and his career path, which brought him to his current position with PNC (and not becoming the Math teacher and coach he originally thought), while noting that the past 3 years in the banking industry have been the most challenging that he’s been a part of – more so than in his entire career.
“I measure my life on the day Lehman Brothers failed, and the day after,” stated Mills as he expanded on the state of things in recent years, adding that he believes “Paulson and Bernake should be knighted.”
PNC became the 5th largest bank in the United States after taking over the National City chain in 2008, making it the third largest merger to date where expenditures to just change the signs alone were $53 million dollars prompting Mills to say for those in the audience who were possibly looking for a career change, “signs is the way to go.”
Mills went on to speak about the community involvement PNC is immersed in including the PNC Foundation, PNC Arts Alive and Grow Up Great programs, and took part in a Q & A session with luncheon attendees, but was not able to make an official comment from a lone question regarding the future of the Philadelphia Orchestra (which Mills sits on the board of), simply saying that the Orchestra is an important part of the City and a model has to be found to make it work.
Liz Galantino, Senior Associate
Metrospective Communications
Marketing, Public Relations and Strategic Communication
