NEWS RELEASE 2008
ABA Media Contact: Jim Eberle
(202) 663-5477
E-mail: jeberle@aba.com

ABA ENDORSES CROWE CHIZEK RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

WASHINGTON – The American Bankers Association announced today that it is endorsing the governance, risk and compliance management consulting services of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC.  Crowe's risk management consulting services were chosen after a thorough review and analysis by ABA and its affiliate, the Corporation for American Banking, based on a wide range of factors including ability to meet the needs of ABA members, expertise in regulatory compliance issues, banking experience and customer service.

These ABA-endorsed services are designed to help banks improve upon their strategic objectives, while providing risk mitigation solutions in compliance, corporate governance and overall business performance.  Crowe currently provides the endorsed risk management consulting services to more than 500 financial institution clients nationally. 

"We're pleased to offer ABA members these high quality solutions from Crowe Chizek, a trusted and renowned provider in the industry," said John C. Wolff, president of the Corporation for American Banking. "The ABA endorsement signifies our confidence that Crowe's services can improve ABA member banks' risk management, corporate governance and information technology risk processes." 
           
"Crowe is very proud to be designated the exclusive endorsed provider of risk management consulting services for the ABA and its members," said Mike Percy, managing executive of Crowe's financial institutions business unit.  "The ABA's endorsement reinforces our continued commitment to helping financial institutions intelligently take on business risks to enhance financial performance while building a competitive advantage.  We look forward to working with ABA in providing risk management consulting services to the banking industry and upholding the values of the ABA's seal of approval."

The endorsed programs include:

• Internal Audit Services: internal audit outsourcing, Sarbanes-Oxley Act section 404 and FDICIA related testing, audit committee assessment / training.

• Credit Services: outsourced credit review, managing commercial real estate concentrations, credit administration process reviews, ALLL consulting, exam preparation and more.

• Corporate Governance Services: evaluation and assessment of corporate governance processes, testing of corporate governance services and assistance with management efforts for enhancement of corporate governance processes.

• Enterprise Risk Management Consulting Services: assist in implementation of enterprise risk management, including enterprise risk assessments, identification of risk remediation processes, evaluation of adequacy of risk responses and assistance with implementation of risk responses.

• Information Technology Risk Services:  Integrated IT audit approach to consider the most current areas of regulatory compliance including multifactor authentication and identity theft red flags, IT audit co-sourcing or outsourcing, business continuity planning and Sarbanes-Oxley Act section 404 scope definition, control documentation and testing.

• BSA / AML Compliance:  BSA audits, risk assessments (AML/BSA/Office of Foreign Assets Control), compliance reviews, exam preparation and management, customer risk rating and customer due diligence, Forensic/third party look-backs, board of directors and senior management training and awareness and more.

• Regulatory Compliance Services: Regulatory compliance risk assessments, consumer compliance testing, consulting and training, enterprise-wide compliance risk management, trust operations and administrative reviews, exam preparation and more.

More on Crowe Risk Management Consulting Services.

About ABA
The American Bankers Association brings together banks of all sizes and charters into one association. ABA works to enhance the competitiveness of the nation's banking industry and strengthen America's economy and communities. Its members – the majority of which are banks with less than $125 million in assets – represent over 95 percent of the industry's $12.7 trillion in assets and employ over 2 million men and women. ABA can be found on the Internet at www.aba.com. 

About Crowe Chizek and Crowe Group
Crowe Group LLP, the parent company of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC (www.crowechizek.com), is one of the top 10 public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of "Building Value with Values®," Crowe assists clients in reaching their goals through services ranging from assurance and financial advisory to performance, risk and tax consulting. Crowe professionals provide public and private companies with thought leadership in the financial services, healthcare, government, private equity sponsored, inventory based and not-for-profit industry sectors, among many others. With 23 offices and more than 2,400 personnel, Crowe has been recognized by a number of organizations as one of the country's best places to work. Crowe Chizek serves clients worldwide as the leading independent member of Horwath International.

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