Sandy Spring Bank Receives Global Award for Efforts to Improve the Client Experience

Company Release - 05/21/2015 13:30

OLNEY, Md., May 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandy Spring Bank recently earned global recognition for a unique company-wide initiative to improve the client experience. The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) named Sandy Spring Bank a 2015 CX Innovation Award winner for its coordinated approach to engaging and training its nearly 800 employees on ways to better serve its clients.

"At Sandy Spring Bank, we have a clearly stated mission: to deliver a consistently remarkable client experience," said Dan Schrider, President and CEO of the bank. Four years ago, we made a commitment to put the client at the center of every business decision. It sounds simple in theory, but we knew that putting it into practice would require extensive education and a cultural transformation."

In 2011, the bank launched its Client Experience initiative, which engages every employee through monthly meetings, routine trainings and a constant company-wide dialogue. Bank clients have also participated in discussions with senior leadership and provided valuable feedback about the issues that matter to them.

Sandy Spring Bank was specifically recognized by CXPA for its training initiative called "Meeting in a Box." Each month, employees discuss a designated topic and learn by using a common language. Managers across every division of the bank facilitate these activities, which gives them the opportunity to relate the issues at hand to their employees' roles within the bank.

"Through this synchronized, hub-and-spokes model, we are all connected in our efforts to improve the client experience," said Mark Slatin, Senior Vice President for Client Experience. "While educating our employees is important, we also hope to inspire ownership at every level of the organization as we all work toward being consistently remarkable."

In addition to Sandy Spring Bank, Crowe Horwath LLP, John Deere, Optum and Western National Insurance Group were also recognized as 2015 CX Innovation Award Winners.

"This award is a notable milestone in our journey, but our work is never finished," added Schrider. "We will continue to work hard to better understand our clients and their priorities, so that we can anticipate and exceed their expectations."

About Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc./Sandy Spring Bank

With $4.4 billion in assets, Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Sandy Spring Bank and its principal subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc. Sandy Spring Bank traces its origin to 1868, making it among the oldest banking institutions in the region. Sandy Spring is a community banking organization that focuses its lending and other services on businesses and consumers in the local market area. Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking and trust services through 44 community offices in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. Through its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and investment management services. Visit www.sandyspringbank.com for more information about Sandy Spring Bank.

CONTACT: Jennifer Schell
         301-570-8331
         jschell@sandyspringbank.com

Source: Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc.