Out of baseball, but still at the ballpark
With his company's name on the baseball park, Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, 50, president of Citizens Bank for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, spends many a fine evening at the bank's skybox, entertaining clients. But his first contact with one famous Phillie came decades earlier.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/Q5EQZQXV5FBGTCYBGBOPX5BA3I.jpg)
With his company's name on the baseball park, Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, 50, president of Citizens Bank for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, spends many a fine evening at the bank's skybox, entertaining clients. But his first contact with one famous Phillie came decades earlier.
Question: You pitched against Jamie Moyer when he played for St. Joe's and you were at La Salle, right?
Answer: We were opposite starting pitchers in a game at La Salle in 1984. After losing that game to Jamie and St. Joe's and seeing his great command of pitch location, I knew I should study harder and prepare for a career outside of baseball.
Q: Is banking any fun?
A: It's more challenging today because . . . the regulatory environment is more stringent.
Q: When you go to parties, are people interested in your work or do they just humor you?
A: I [also] manage the Mid-Atlantic region, so it's Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Ohio, as well as D.C. We see thousands of high-quality companies that we provide banking services for, so we [have] a great cross-section of the economy. The fun part about the job is you get that perspective.
Q: How did you get started?
A: My background is as an accountant. What I really enjoyed . . . was trying to come up with innovative financial solutions to help a company or a family achieve objectives.
Q: For example?
A: I remember working on a family business, a soda company in Philadelphia. They were a smaller brand and trying to figure out how they could - as innovations and technology were changing - [finance] their new plant expansion in order to remain competitive. What that enabled them to do was find another 10 years of success.
Q: As Chamber of Commerce chair, what do you see as the biggest challenge to doing business in the region?
A: People love the city and our location is tremendous. The challenge is breaking the perception that Philadelphia is not pro-business.
Q: What's the chamber's role?
A: We talk a lot with City Council, with the mayor, administration, with leaders in Harrisburg about making sure that certain legislation that would scare off potential employers [isn't passed].
Q: Is that why the chamber opposed paid sick leave, passed by City Council but vetoed by Mayor Nutter.
A: It's the perception that Philadelphia is hostile to business, when the reality is that it's not. But when you are competing globally to attract businesses, negative headlines become challenges.
Q: You're a banker. Do you balance your checkbook?
A: My wife does. My wife manages our money.
Q: So do you get an allowance?
A: I essentially do get an allowance. I ask permission.
Q: You do?
A: I'm well-trained. I feel guilty spending money on myself.
Q: What makes you feel guilty?
A: I do like a good suit from Boyds. I always feel like I'm splurging, but my wife says, 'Oh no, you need that for work.' I don't go to Boyds without my wife's permission.
Quick hits
Q: Famous neighbor?
A: I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia with seven siblings. It was a twin and in our connected twin, Sylvester Stallone was our neighbor. We called him Mike. He and his friends had concerts in the garage.
Q: Favorite food?
A: I love a good steak.
Q: What's a big faux pas for a client visiting your Citizens Bank Park skybox?
A: Wearing a Yankees hat.
Q: Do they still get loans?
A: The loan is fine, but the return to Citizens Bank [Park] is another thing.
Dan Fitzpatrick
Title: President, Citizens Bank, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Diplomas: Father Judge; La Salle University, business administration; Drexel University, M.B.A.
Home: Newtown.
Family: Wife, Beth; children, Lacey, 23; Daniel, 22; Olivia, 17; Mia, 16.
In his "spare" time: Chairman, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Resumé: Joined
Citizens in 2007. Top banking jobs with Bank
of America, PNC Bank, CoreStates Bank. EndText
Citizens Bank Of Pennsylvania
Local headquarters: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh.
Branches: 381 in Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey.
Employees: 3,800.
Parent company: Royal Bank of Scotland Citizens Financial Group Inc. (RBS Citizens Financial Group).
Headquarters: Providence, R.I.
Assets: $126 billion.
Branches: 1,387.
Total employees: 18,885.
SOURCE: Citizens BankEndText