The American Bankers Association today elected Julieann M. Thurlow as its chair for the 2023 – 2024 association year at ABA’s annual convention held in Nashville, Tenn. Thurlow is president and CEO of Reading Cooperative Bank, a 130+-year-old mutual community bank in Massachusetts. She is responsible for the bank’s strategic direction and management, and also serves as president of the RCB Charitable Foundation.
“As a dedicated and respected community banker committed to financial inclusion and innovation, Julie is ideally suited to lead our industry in this essential role,” said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO. “She understands the critical role banks of all sizes play in our economy, and she understands the challenges and opportunities facing the banking sector. I look forward to working with her in the year ahead to make sure America’s banks can continue to meet the needs of their customers, clients and communities.”
“It’s a tremendous honor to begin this new role advocating for our industry, and I look forward to sharing all the positive things banks are doing to make a difference in their communities,” said Thurlow. “One of my priorities will be to make sure we are doing all we can to expand access to banking across the country because everyone deserves the many benefits that come with a bank relationship.”
Thurlow is immediate past chair of ABA’s Core Platforms Council and currently serves as a member of the ABA’s Government Relations Administrative Committee and Membership Council. She is a founding member of Alloy Labs, a consortium of banks from around the country formed to innovate in the banking space and is a director of Atlantic Community Bankers Bank (ACBB). Locally, Thurlow serves on the MA Fintech Hub and is a board and executive committee member of the Lawrence Partnership, the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation, and serves on the boards of the Greater Lawrence Community Health Center and Winchester Hospital.
Thurlow has also been recognized several times as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch in Banking by American Banker Magazine.
After receiving an MBA from the business school at Fairfield University, Thurlow also studied at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Harvard Business School’s Division of Continuing Education, and the CEO Leadership Lab at Wharton’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education.