James C. Smith
James C. Smith is owner and CEO of JCSmith Advisors. He is Chairman Emeritus and former Chairman (1995 – 2020) and CEO (1987- 2017) of Connecticut-based Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS) and its principal subsidiary, Webster Bank, a $80 billion regional commercial bank which also owns HSA Bank, the nation’s largest bank administrator of health savings accounts.
Jim was a founder in 2011, served as vice chairman, and is currently Senior Advisor to the Midsize Banks Coalition of America (MBCA). He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association and served as co‑chairman of the ABA’s American (Midsize) Bankers Council. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Financial Services Roundtable. Jim served as a member and Vice President of the Federal Advisory Council, which advises the deliberations of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Jim served on the executive committee of the Connecticut Bankers Association. He served as a director of MacDermid, Inc. (NYSE:MRD) from 1994 - 2007.
Jim serves as a Director and was founding Co-Chair of AdvanceCT, a membership based, business-driven not-for-profit whose purpose is to promote business development, economic growth and job creation in CT. It’s primary focus is to actively engage, retain, expand and recruit businesses. AdvanceCT operates in private/public partnership with Governor Lamont and the Dept. of Economic and Community Development and has developed an Economic Action Plan for the state.
Jim previously served, at former Governor Malloy’s appointment, as Co-Chairman of the Connecticut Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth. The Commission, whose diverse members were appointed from CT private sector by the Governor and state legislative leadership set forth CT’s ‘burning platform’ and offered proposals to put CT back on the road to economic growth and progress.
Jim is actively engaged in community service and supports numerous civic organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Harold Webster Smith Foundation; Board Member (founding General Chairman, 2017-2022) of the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation which is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Hartford; and Chairman of Trinity Health of New England, a regional faith-based healthcare provider.
Alexander P. Rolfe
Given the bank failures and renewed banking stress of 2023, in July, Alex rejoined FDIC’s Complex Institution Supervision and Resolution branch in NYC to build a team focused on global bank risk and resolution.