Ally picks former Discover, TD Bank exec as next CEO
Ally Financial has its next chief executive officer who said he admires the company’s “leading position in automotive finance.”
Late on Wednesday, Ally announced Michael Rhodes will be its new CEO, starting at the company on April 29. Rhodes will also be appointed as a member of Ally’s board of directors at that time.
Ally highlighted Rhodes brings more than 25 years of experience across retail and consumer banking and has a track record of delivering transformative digital, data, and technology strategies.
Rhodes most recently served as CEO of Discover Financial Services and was a member of the company’s board of directors. He additionally held the role of president of Discover Bank and sat on the bank’s board of directors.
Prior to Discover, Rhodes spent more than 12 years at TD Bank, most recently as group head of Canadian personal banking, where he oversaw the division dedicated to retail products and serving customers through mobile, online, telephone, and a branch network over one thousand strong.
During his tenure at TD Bank, Rhodes also led North American credit card and merchant services and served as head of innovation, technology, and shared services. In this role, Rhodes strengthened operational resilience, security, and efficiency while improving the bank’s capability to support emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cloud migration. He has also held senior positions at Bank of America and MBNA America Bank.
“I have long admired Ally’s transformational approach to digital banking and its leading position in automotive finance,” Rhodes said in a news release. “The bank has successfully harnessed the power of technology to create financial solutions for its customers and communities consistent with its ‘Do It Right’ mantra.
“I am so pleased the board has put its trust in me to continue advancing Ally’s strategy alongside the strong leadership team,” he continued. “I am eager to roll up my sleeves and, together with more than 11,000 Ally teammates, get to work.”
Rhodes replaces Jeffrey Brown, who stepped down at the end of January after nearly nine years as CEO.
Doug Timmerman, Ally’s president of dealer financial services, has been serving as interim CEO since Brown’s departure.
“After an exhaustive search process, the board has chosen Michael to lead Ally into the next stage of its evolution. Our trust is grounded in his versatile consumer banking experience, his focus on using data and insights to drive decision-making, and his commitment to creating long-term value for our stockholders,” Ally Financial chairman of the board Franklin Hobbs said.
“Importantly to Ally, Michael understands the power of a motivated workforce. He knows supporting team members and investing in workplace culture is essential to the mission of any organization. Indeed, his passion for serving both customers and employees makes him an unquestionable match to lead Ally,” Hobbs went on to say.