Illinois Bankers Association Partners With the University of Illinois College of Business to Offer Executive MBA Program Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) and the University of Illinois College of Business have formed a partnership to offer scholarships to the Executive MBA program. Over the next three years, a total of six scholarships in the amount of $20,000 per candidate will be awarded to IBA member bank employees for enrollment in the Illinois Executive MBA program. The partnership was announced by IBA Chairman Thomas Hough during the Association's 119th Annual Conference & Trade Show on June 17.

According to David Ikenberry, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Executive Programs for the U of I College of Business, "The Illinois Executive MBA program will indeed sharpen the tools a banker often relies on: finance, economics and investments. Yet, this program delivers far more. Through high-caliber faculty and a broad cross-section of bright student colleagues from all walks of life, the banker becomes much more adept at understanding and identifying strategic opportunities. Complemented with the program's focus on leadership, bankers are far better prepared to enable real strategic change."

"Change is part of everyday life in banking, due in part to regulatory reform but also to the dynamic nature of competition and innovation within financial services," said IBA President and CEO Linda Koch. "With this backdrop, it is not difficult to understand why the need for business education within the banking community is so important. That's why this partnership and these scholarships are so significant for our industry."

General aspects of the scholarship program include:

• Six scholarships will be made available for up to $20,000 per candidate for those professionals employed by an IBA member institution.
• The scholarship supplements other types of support a candidate might receive from their employer.
• Candidates must complete the application process.
• This program will be limited to the three admissions cycles starting in September 2010, 2011 and 2012.

To learn more about this scholarship program, contact Lisa Koengeter at 312-575-7901 or visit www.ExecMBA.Illinois.edu.

The Illinois Bankers Association is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations of all sizes in Illinois. Collectively, the IBA represents nearly 90 percent of the assets of the Illinois banking industry, which employs more than 100,000 men and women in over 5,000 offices across the state.

CONTACT: Debbie Jemison, 217-789-9340

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association