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Jenius Bank Features
Jenius Bank President John Rosenfeld: ‘It’s Fun to Do the Impossible’
There may not be many all-digital, 100% cloud-based companies with roots dating back to the sixteenth century, but such is exactly the case for...
With Jenius Bank, Sumitomo is starting from scratch
John Rosenfeld signed on to oversee the launch of Jenius, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.'s planned national digital bank, in February 2021, so jokes...
Japanese bank SMBC to launch US digital bank Jenius
“With the launch of Jenius Bank, we have the rare opportunity to build exceptional products from scratch that uniquely meet the needs of today’s digital...
Jenius Bank News
Jenius Bank™ Launches Inaugural Product, Personal Loans
Offering marks bank’s first consumer product in a roster of upcoming new services LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2023 - Jenius Bank™, the digital banking division of Manufacturers Bank, a California state chartered commercial bank that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group, today announced the launch of personal loans, its inaugural product. Jenius Bank intends to become a full-service bank for the U.S. market with additional offerings in the coming months, including a savings product and mobile app. Data shows that 78% of millennials are frustrated with traditional banking processes and 81% would like their bank to make suggestions about their financial goals, demonstrating the need for a holistic new approach to deliver personalized banking experiences. “Jenius Bank’s personal loans launch continues to fuel our mission to empower customers with smarter banking to create a richer life for themselves,” said John Rosenfeld, President of Jenius Bank. “Personal loans offer the ability for customers to save thousands on higher-rate debt. In an environment where many are looking to save and pay down debt, our personal loans with flexible terms and discounted rates are a great option.” Jenius Bank will also use best-in-class technology to make mastering personal finances easier by allowing aggregation of all money management in a forthcoming easy to use app. As financial services become more and more driven by advanced technologies, Jenius Bank aims to show customers how they can benefit from the power of data, while still maintaining a strong element of humanity in its banking relationships. Jenius Bank personalizes banking using an established and extensive consumer research program that drives product designs with direct customer input. Keeping the customer top of mind, Jenius Bank also offers U.S.-based 24/7 first-class customer support online or by phone. “The introduction of personal loans launches Jenius Bank toward building a full-service suite of products that re-imagines what the industry looks like today,” said Andrew Harris, EVP, Head of Product at Jenius Bank. “At Jenius Bank, our goal is to create personalization, merging the advancements of technology with a consumer-first approach. We use leading technology to provide customers with a banking experience that is built on their data and preferences. Unlike many traditional banks, our products are specifically made to best meet customer interests, jointly working with them toward their financial goals.” To learn more about Jenius Bank and its personal loans, visit www.jeniusbank.com. About Jenius Bank Now open to customers, Jenius Bank has a mission to help people build a richer life through actionable insights and innovative tools powered by best-in-class technology. The bank currently offers personal loans, with a savings product and mobile app launching in the coming months. Jenius Bank is the digital division of Manufacturers Bank, a California state chartered commercial bank that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group. The Jenius Bank team works remotely across 23 states but also maintains offices for team collaboration in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; and Charlotte, North Carolina. To learn more information about Jenius Bank and to join its waitlist for checking and savings products, visit www.jeniusbank.com. About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group headquartered in Tokyo. With a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. SMBC Group has more than 140 offices and 86,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. As of December 31, 2022, its total assets were $1.99 trillion. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by its capital strength and the value of its relationships in Asia, SMBC Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. SMBC Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit www.smbcgroup.com. About Manufacturers Bank Founded in 1962, Manufacturers Bank is a California state-chartered commercial bank based in Los Angeles and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group. Manufacturers Bank serves the specialized needs of middle-market businesses, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, importers, exporters, and service companies. For more information, please visit www.manufacturersbank.com. This document may contain forward looking statements, which may include projections, forecasts, income estimates, yield or return, future performance targets, or similar analysis. Any such forward-looking statements, prices, indices, or measures are based upon certain assumptions. All forward-looking statements are based on the information available at the time the document was prepared, and Jenius Bank is not obligated to provide an update. Actual events may differ from those assumptions or available information. Any opinions, projections, price/yield information or estimates are subject to change without notice. There can be no assurance that any estimated returns or projections will be realized, that forward-looking statements will materialize, or that actual results will not be materially different from those presented herein. Past performance should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of future performance, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding future performance. The value, price or income from transactions or strategies may fall as well as rise. Press Contact: Bianca Repasi SourceCode Communications jeniusbank@sourcecodecomms.com
John Rosenfeld’s Leadership: From Special Forces to Jenius Bank
John Rosenfeld flying in a helicopter while serving in the U.S. Army. 185. No, that’s not how many employees report to John Rosenfeld at Jenius Bank (the team passed that number a while ago and continues growing). That’s how many times he jumped out of planes while serving in the United States Army. Most parachuters jump from a height of 1,000-1,500 feet. His most memorable jump was from 27,000 feet. “We jumped at night when it was pitch black,” John recalls. “You had to waddle out of the plane because you had an oxygen bottle on your left leg, your rifle on your right leg, a backpack strapped to your thighs, a parachute on your back and an oxygen mask on your face.” Altogether, the equipment weighed around 200 pounds. After making it out of the plane, he fell for about a thousand feet before pulling his rip cord and gliding under the cover of night for nearly 20 miles before landing with his team and continuing the mission. It’s been a few decades since John jumped out of airplanes, and while his laptop only weighs about two pounds these days, the lessons and strategies that gave him the confidence to make those jumps shine through in his daily leadership at Jenius Bank. Focused on Forging a Path Joining the military was always on John’s mind. Growing up, he listened to his father’s stories about his own service in the Army infantry. “My father always spoke fondly of it [the Army],” he recalls. “From a young age, it was something that was interesting to me.” John has always been an achiever, working his way through Boy Scouts to Eagle Scout in his younger years, earning a full four-year Army ROTC scholarship to Norwich University in Vermont, and rising through the ranks to be a Scout Platoon Leader and then a Planning and Operations Officer in the Army’s Infantry. From the Infantry, he entered Special Forces training, a series of courses to find the top soldiers for the elite cohort. While completing his field training, he remembers getting a radio call informing him that his wife was going into labor with their twins. Quickly trekking to the given grid location, a Humvee picked him up and took him to a helicopter to fly to the hospital, arriving just in time to see his twins born. Though he may have scared the staff, given that he was still in camouflage and had his rifle with him. When training was over, John earned the position of A-team leader and became Captain of a Special Forces unit. John still has his green beret in his office, along with a picture of his special forces team. Leading this team is often the inspiration for decisions he makes when leading Jenius Bank. Leadership Lessons from the Military Hire Experts and Listen to Them “In a normal military unit, the commander may have hundreds of people reporting to them,” he says. “In Special Forces, you have 11.” Beyond the size difference, Special Forces units are made up of experts in their fields, including Intelligence Sergeants, Medical Sergeants, Weapons Sergeants, Engineer Sergeants, and Communications Sergeants. According to John, the person on the team with the least knowledge is the Commanding Officer. That is to say, the Commanding Officer isn’t an expert in any of the specialties and relies on his team to bring the best options to the table. “In Special Forces, you’re leading a team of people who know more about their specialty than you ever will,” John says. “The only way to lead that kind of team is if you earn their respect. And you earn their respect by listening, understanding what they can bring to the table, and asking for their opinions.” John has carried this collaborative leadership style with him to Jenius Bank. Since Jenius Bank launched as an idea in 2021, John has supported the onboarding of hundreds of employees who are experts in their fields. These experts have decades of traditional banking experience under their belts and all share John’s passion for building a better bank. Relying on these experiences, the team set out to understand what people want from their bank. With John’s support, they conducted extensive research and were able to formulate a best-in-class product that will outpace rivals after our 2023 launch. Keep a Cool Head Beyond recruiting experts, John relies on his military training to help him keep a cool head during stressful situations. “There have been several tough days at Jenius Bank,” John recalls. “Where something went wrong, or somebody raised a concern that, at the time, none of us knew if, or how, we’d get through it. But, based on my experience, there’s no challenge you can’t eventually overcome.” On the tough days, John thinks back to his missions and the knowledge that no plan survives contact with the enemy, an idea often credited to German field marshal Moltke the Elder. “The first thing you have to do is stop and assess the situation,” he says. “From there, you identify the resources at your disposal, consider what the organization is trying to accomplish and what is your part in it. Then you develop a sequence of steps to accomplish it and figure out how to communicate this to everyone.” When creating a plan to work through a tough situation, it’s essential for a leader to listen to those around him. John relies on his team to advise him and help him chart the best path forward for the organization, rather than laying out his own plan and expecting others to follow. Lead with Your Team A group of Jenius Bank, SMBC MANUBANK, and SMBC leaders at a meeting in Boston in October 2022. Beyond listening to his team, John creates an atmosphere that makes employees want to be part of the company’s future. From weekly all-hands meetings that include shoutouts to team members and recognition of major accomplishments, to regular updates on Jenius Bank’s plans and future. His vision for the company is clear and whenever a new task needs to be done, he creates a set of actionable goals that everyone contributes to. “Whenever I give someone a task, I’m giving them the five W’s,” he says, referring to who, what, when, where, and why. This clarity gives his team the information they need, while also offering them latitude to be creative in their approach. It’s a testament to John’s leadership that so many Jenius Bank employees have worked with John at other companies in the past and were excited to join him in his new venture at Jenius Bank. John also makes a point of connecting with employees throughout the organization, not just his senior leaders. "A successful Special Forces leader leads with their team, not ahead of them," John says. His focus on connecting and inspiring has created a culture of trust and innovation. Final Thoughts Rallying a group across time zones on a Friday morning isn’t an easy task, but John makes it look effortless. His charisma and ability to connect with people, even through video screens and across time zones, makes everyone want to play a part in the future. Given his background and many leadership positions, some people may expect John to be a no-nonsense guy, but he’s quite the opposite. He’s quick to make jokes and puts everyone he chats with at ease. As Jenius Bank sets out to tackle the digital banking world, John makes the team feel safe and supported in their decisions. His confidence permeates the organization and creates an atmosphere that everyone wants to be part of. And while he may not be jumping out of planes anymore, this adventure is still an adrenaline rush.
Jenius Bank Report Shows the Impact of Finances on Mental Health
More than 50% of people say finances are causing stress, anxiety or feelings of depression LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2024 – Jenius Bank, the digital banking division of SMBC MANUBANK and a member of the SMBC Group, today unveiled the findings of its new survey, The Mind-Money Connection: How Managing Your Finances Can Make You Happier, revealing the tangible ways consumers’ financial situations intertwine with our mental health and wellbeing. The report, which surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. consumers*, comes as Americans face a wave of significant financial hurdles, from persistent inflation to rising debt to the increasing uncertainty of retirement. As the data shows, financial pressures – among many others – are causing stress and anxiety that may impact nearly every facet of people’s lives, from their relationships to their physical health to plans for the future. “We’re deeply invested in identifying ways to help Jenius Bank customers feel more secure with better products and resources that help minimize or alleviate common financial stressors,” said John Rosenfeld, President of Jenius Bank. The report reveals what respondents believe it means to live richer lives in 2024, how financial stress manifests, and the ways in which these consumers receive and seek out financial advice. In the past, being “rich” might have been described as splurging on fancy cars and lavish homes, but in 2024, the true meaning of living a rich life reflects a new way of thinking about finances: Richness, Defined: Not having financial debt (33.4%), retiring early without concern of running out of funds (33.1%), and establishing generational wealth (27.8%) were the top definitions of “rich” among those surveyed. Wealth Perception Gap: Most respondents (80%) do not consider themselves rich, but 32% said others consider them to be, indicating they don’t see themselves as affluent as others may perceive them. How Financial Stress Manifests: Over 50% of respondents say finances make them stressed and cause anxiety and/or feelings of depression, also reporting loss of sleep (52.8%), feelings of guilt or hopelessness (41.4%), regular headaches (32%), and strained relationships with friends/family (30.1%). The Ripple Effect of Financial Stress: Approximately 1 in 4 respondents said financial concerns have impacted their decision to have children, 36.2% would consider moving to a less expensive new location because of them, and 55% of unmarried respondents say they’re less likely to get married due to their financial worries. Seeking out Financial Advice: Social media is increasingly influential, with 20% of respondents participating in viral money management trends such as “quiet luxury” and “loud budgeting.” Additionally, 65.7% of that cohort reported improved feelings about their finances from participating in these trends. "When you feel financially secure, it helps to boost your confidence and peace of mind. On the flip side, financial stress may take a heavy toll on your mental and emotional health,” said Julie Guntrip, Head of Financial Wellness at Jenius Bank. “It's crucial for banks to recognize this connection between financial and mental wellbeing, and that starts with ensuring consumers have the knowledge they need to help live richer lives." To read more insights from The Mind-Money Connection report, and for tips on how to build confidence and practice better financial hygiene, visit www.jeniusbank.com/mind-money-connection. To learn more about Jenius Bank, go to www.jeniusbank.com/. *Methodology The survey collected responses from 4,025 United States residents between the ages of 25 and 55. Approximately 2,012 respondents (one-half) fell between the ages of 29 and 44, or the “Millennial” generation. Each respondent reported an annual household income (HHI) of $100,000 or higher. The survey was conducted online via Propeller Insights, a full-service market research company. Propeller Insights facilitated the recruitment of the participants, deployment of the survey and collection and delivery of the raw data. Data collection began on April 2, 2024 and concluded on April 9, 2024. Any data collected is solely utilized for the purposes outlined in the agreement between Jenius Bank and Propeller Insights. This survey recognizes certain limitations in its design (such as question wording) and data collection methodologies (such as practical difficulties in conducting surveys). While we have employed robust techniques to ensure accuracy, it is important to note that all survey research may involve unmeasured variables and errors that could influence the outcomes. About Jenius Bank Jenius Bank has a mission to help people live a richer life through actionable insights and innovative tools powered by first class technology. Jenius Bank currently offers personal loans and high-yield savings accounts, with a mobile app launching in the coming months. Jenius Bank is the digital division of SMBC MANUBANK, a California state-chartered commercial bank that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group. To learn more information about Jenius Bank, visit www.jeniusbank.com. About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group headquartered in Tokyo. With a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. SMBC Group has more than 140 offices and 86,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. As of December 31, 2022, its total assets were $1.99 trillion. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by its capital strength and the value of its relationships in Asia, SMBC Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. SMBC Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit www.smbcgroup.com. About SMBC MANUBANK SMBC MANUBANK is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group—a global leader in finance and innovation. SMBC MANUBANK delivers tailored financial solutions, combined with first-class technology and a client-first service model. Our trusted advisors bring decades of commercial banking experience in diversified industries and specialty banking. SMBC MANUBANK’s digital division, Jenius Bank™, offers consumers tools and insights to better manage their personal finances and grow wealth. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, SMBC MANUBANK also has offices in Beverly Hills, Brea, Encino, Glendale, Newport Beach, San Jose, and Torrance. For more information, visit www.smbcmanubank.com. Press Contact: SourceCode Communications jeniusbank@sourcecodecomms.com Jenius Bank is a member of SMBC MANUBANK. Member FDIC.
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