“Turbulence is inevitable, but misery is optional,” author and former Southwest Airlines CEO Howard Putnam told 2000 attendees at the 2015 NACHA Payments System Awards Luncheon in New Orleans, sponsored by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, Tuesday, April 21, at PAYMENTS 2015.
In his keynote entitled, “Innovation: Creating a Process and Culture for Ideas to Hatch,” Putnam said innovation is hard work.
“Not everybody can wake up and be Steve Jobs.”
He continued: “Innovation starts at the top. If you have a board of directors and a CEO who don’t believe in it, it’ll be tough to do.”
Putnam shared with attendees his philosophy for creating an innovative culture: 1) put the vision down on a piece of paper; 2) figure out what business you are in, and 3) develop a culture that supports it.
Putnam – an author, speaker and adviser on business issues, change, leadership and ethics – believes that organizations must embrace and foster a climate and culture for risk taking and idea implementation.
As CEO of Southwest Airlines, Putnam positioned and organized the company for growth and profitability by developing a flat management structure with decision making and idea development embedded in every employee’s job scope and responsibility. He later became the first CEO to successfully restructure a major airline, Braniff International, through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His previous professional experience also includes more than 20 years with United Airlines.
To celebrate innovative achievements within the industry, NACHA also recognized this year’s recipients of the 2015 Payments System Awards at the luncheon.
The George Mitchell Payments System Excellence Award, named after former vice-chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve George Mitchell, an early proponent of electronic payments, honors an individual or organization that has shown superior leadership in the development, implementation or advancement of electronic payments.
The Kevin O’Brien ACH Network Award, named in honor of the late Kevin O’Brien, NACHA’s 1999-2000 chair, recognizes best practices in ACH participants’ efforts to innovate or improve ACH services and/or the integrity, reliability and environmental benefits of the ACH Network through strategic initiatives and projects.
NACHA also announced the financial institutions recognized as peer group leaders as part of the newly announced Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) benchmarking framework.
More information on the award recipients and the peer group leaders is available on the NACHA website.
Howard Putnam speaks on leadership, change, transformation, customer service, teamsand ethics. He is the former CEO of Southwest Airlines and the first CEO to take a major airline, Braniff International, into, through and out of Chapter 11, getting it flying again in less than two years.
