Name: Dave Briggs
Title: Bank at work, co-brand and affinity banking client management executive
Company, city: Bank of America; Nashville, Tenn.
Number of employees: 125 in co-brand
Recent project: Recognizing that every transaction matters to each customer and presents an opportunity to build a more personal, human connection, our team focuses on delivering a clear, consistent and simple payments experience. We give customers control over how they buy, pay, manage and save, while ensuring each touchpoint reinforces trust and usefulness.
First job: As a sixth grader in 1979, I served coffee to people waiting in line for gas during the gas embargo.
Little-known fact about you: I’ve never had a cup of coffee.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: Keep it simple and communicate four clear priorities: deliver high-quality service every time; give customers and clients compelling reasons to do business with us; value and equip our people to perform; and continually simplify operations to reduce cost and friction.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Spend time with clients. Ask probing questions, stay current on their industries, and recognize that competitive dynamics can shift in an instant.
Yardstick of success: Use the right metrics: measure outcomes, listen to customers, and place customer satisfaction at the center of decision-making.
Dave Briggs as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? I spend about 120 days a year on the road, so reliable battery power or access to an outlet is essential to keep my laptop and iPad functional.
How do you spend your time on board? I use travel time to catch up on books and email, and I pay attention to which carriers offer onboard WiFi.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world? One of our clients is Bass Pro Shops; when I visit locations where they have stores, I often meet their sales teams and eat at the in-store restaurant.
What is your favorite destination in the world? Steamboat Springs, Colorado — I enjoy it for winter skiing and summer cycling.
About Bank of America
What does the Bank of America co-branded card offer frequent travelers? Bank of America maintains nearly 20 co-branded relationships, each designed with unique rewards and strong distribution channels. Partners include organizations such as Major League Baseball, Bass Pro Shops, NASCAR and Amway Global. We have intentionally narrowed our focus to a smaller set of partners whose differentiated value propositions drive deeper, more valuable customer relationships and scalable distribution. Together with partners we deliver market-leading credit card and loyalty programs, backed by the full suite of consumer banking and investment products for customers who want to simplify their financial lives.
Which airlines, hotels and cruise lines are co-branded partners? We operate nine travel-related co-brand programs serving more than 1.8 million cardholders, who spent in excess of $20 billion on their cards through the first nine months of 2012. Travel partners include Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic, Spirit Airlines and Norwegian Cruise Line.
What sets the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card apart from other frequent-flyer cards? Our 25-year relationship with Alaska Airlines has produced more than one million cardholders across Signature, Platinum and Preferred products, including tri-branded programs with the University of Washington and Washington State University. Alaska’s strong service reputation and a valuable loyalty program drive card adoption. Visa Signature cardholders receive bonus miles at account approval with no initial spend requirement, a $110 coach companion fare certificate, three miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases and one mile per dollar on other purchases.