Ellis will retire in September
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) announced today that Steve Ellis, head
of the Innovation Group, will retire after nearly 31 years with the
company. In September, Lisa Frazier will become head of the group, which
focuses on accelerating Wells Fargo’s delivery of next-generation
products and services.
“Steve has been a champion for customer-centric innovation since he
joined the company more than three decades ago,” said Avid Modjtabai,
head of Payments, Virtual Solutions and Innovation for Wells Fargo. “He
has been a mentor to many, and his influence is reflected in how we’re
reimagining the future of banking. He has been a trusted advisor to me
over the years, and I wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
The Wells
Fargo Startup Accelerator and upcoming Greenhouse
SM
app are among the initiatives developed under Ellis’s leadership.
Previously, Ellis led the Wholesale Services Group, including Treasury
Management; Wholesale Banking Technology and Operations; Wholesale
Social Strategies, Innovation and Research and Development; and the
Enterprise Payment Strategies Group. Before that he started and ran the
Wholesale Internet Solutions group, which launched Wells Fargo’s
Commercial Electronic Office® (CEO®) portal in
2000 and CEO Mobile® in 2007. Wells Fargo’s early move into
commercial online and mobile financial services was due in large part to
Ellis’s commitment to fostering workplace creativity to uncover new
ideas. He also held finance and operations roles in Wells Fargo
Commercial Banking, Real Estate Group, and Wholesale Banking.
Frazier has significant experience in digital and technology
specializing in digital disruption, customer experience, and product
innovation. She has led highly regarded digital programs for
Commonwealth Bank of Australia and as a Partner at McKinsey & Company.
Most recently, Frazier has focused on advising startup companies on
growth, with examples including product development at Jacobi Inc., and
scaling enterprise integrations of digital wealth management solutions
at SigFig for financial institutions like Wells Fargo. In addition,
Frazier has served as an advisor to the ANZ Banking Group and Citi
FinTech.
“I am excited to have Lisa serve as a catalyst for innovation at Wells
Fargo,” said Modjtabai. “Her vision, passion, and deep experience in
digital transformation at scale will help us further our efforts
to build simple, personalized experiences that make a difference in our
customers’ lives.”
Frazier will join the company on May 29 and will be based in San
Francisco. Ellis will continue in his role until September to ensure a
smooth transition.
Frazier said, “I have long admired Wells Fargo’s approach to innovation
and the willingness to explore new things while always keeping the focus
on the customer experience. I am looking forward to joining a talented
team and contributing to Wells Fargo’s outstanding work to use
technology and innovation to make life easier and simpler for customers
and team members.”
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based
financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s
vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them
succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco,
Wells Fargo provides banking, investments, mortgage, and consumer and
commercial finance through 8,200 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet
(wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and
territories to support customers who conduct business in the global
economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one
in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was
ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2017 rankings of America’s largest
corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also
available at Wells
Fargo Stories.