Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series spotlighting corporate partnerships with Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.

Regions Bank knows a good investment when it sees one, and Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business is an investment that pays dividends far beyond dollar signs, says one of the bank’s senior officers.

“The overall economy and Regions benefit from the strong experiential learning opportunities that Harbert College of Business students complete,” said Katie Fogg, university talent and relationship program manager for Regions.

“The hands-on, outside-the-classroom exposure, whether it be a research project, study abroad experience, work at the innovation lab, case competitions, or volunteerism, all make an impact on the skills, knowledge, and world view students bring to every aspect of their career,” she said.

That, she explained, is also good business and thus among the many reasons Regions continues a longstanding tradition of supporting Harbert and Auburn University in general.

Harbert’s partnerships

Such partnerships provide important lessons and experience outside the classroom, but they also serve corporate partners well, said Edward Reynolds, Harbert’s corporate and foundations relations officer.

“Partnerships... are centrally focused on creating mutually beneficial relationships that help elevate the work toward each parties’ respective goals, while also amplifying their brands and the positive impacts they create in their communities,” he said.

“In practice, this can look like students receiving internship and full-time employment opportunities that will positively alter their career trajectories – with potential to shift the dynamics of their families and communities,” Reynolds said. “In kind, companies establish new and robust talent pipelines that will shape their internal culture with innovative ideas and a skilled workforce.

“Furthermore, a company’s investment in a student’s education can create access and opportunity that might have once been deemed unobtainable.  Scholarship dollars are critically important today, given the rising cost of tuition and dwindling government allocations to higher education across the country.”

Regions is a great example, Reynolds said.

“Regions Bank has been a longstanding partner. For more than 20 years, it has continuously invested in our students through scholarships, experiential learning support and a robust talent recruitment program, including internships and full-time opportunities.

“Additionally, Regions has invested in our faculty via professorships and research support,” he said.  “They have also provided critical infrastructural support to lift and sustain some of the college’s most innovative and renowned initiatives, like the Center for Supply Chain Innovation and the Financial Leadership Collaborative. 

“They also provide thought leadership and avail themselves as thought partners.”

An example is the Harbert’s annual Regions Day event. Executives from multiple sectors of the company’s enterprise convened on Auburn’s campus to network with students, faculty and philanthropic partners. The day provided space to share organizational updates and explore opportunities for continued ideation and future collaboration.

Regions is the college’s only corporate partner with a dedicated day of this magnitude, but Reynolds says he hopes more will follow suit.

Reflecting the Auburn creed

Fogg, from the bank’s perspective, said such a partnership with Auburn is important to Regions’ goals too.

“We believe in supporting programs and opportunities that make our communities better for the long term,” she said. “Auburn University is a valuable community partner for Regions, and Harbert College of Business is helping lay a foundation for students’ career success that can help move the communities we serve forward.”

It’s also a matter of filling the ranks with quality employees, and Auburn has a history of providing that, she said.

“Graduates from Harbert are contributing at all levels of the bank, and we welcome opportunities to connect—and employ—Harbert graduates who are interested in a career in banking, finance and more,” Fogg said. “Through a robust internship program, current Auburn students are interning at Regions and adding tremendous value to our teams.

“Through strong relationships with student-led initiatives, new ideas and strategies are also being developed to help Regions further serve its customers.

“Also, helping students understand the value of financial education is impacting Harbert and other Auburn students as Regions Bank is helping lay the foundation to improve financial wellness for all,” she said. “We were proud to recently expand Auburn’s financial wellness resources with the launch of the financial literacy platform iGrad to provide more resources and insights to students to help shape their financial future.”

A climate of proven, reputable character also matters, just like in business, says Fogg.

“Regions’ core values and the Auburn creed align well. Auburn graduates consistently demonstrate a commitment to learning, a dedication to doing what is right and a dedication to honesty and truthfulness,” she said. “These traits, along with students’ commitment to excellence, make Harbert College of Business graduates a strong match for the Regions culture.”