Rob Nichols

Rob Nichols is the president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, the voice of the nation’s $24.1 trillion banking industry and the only organization that represents banks of all sizes and charters in Washington.

Since joining ABA in August 2015, Nichols has led the association’s advocacy efforts, working to ensure that banks of all sizes operate in a policy environment that  enables them to best serve their customers and communities. In 2018, Nichols led ABA's successful efforts to win passage of the first major banking bill in nearly a decade. Among other things, the bipartisan legislation modified rules for community banks that were originally intended for larger institutions.

Nichols has led the charge to push back on regulatory overreach of the banking industry through advocacy and legal efforts. In the past several years, ABA has filed seven lawsuits against state and federal regulators, challenging overregulation that harms consumers and negatively impacts banks’ ability to serve their customers and communities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nichols and ABA played a critical role in helping banks navigate unprecedented challenges. ABA resources and advocacy helped banks of all sizes rapidly deliver 90 percent of the $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program, the largest economic rescue plan ever deployed for the private sector, protecting more than 80 million Americans from job loss. The banking industry's efforts helped limit the pandemic's impact on the U.S. economy.

As ABA's president and CEO, Nichols has led several industry-wide initiatives. In 2019, he encouraged all banks to offer low-cost, user-friendly, Bank On-certified accounts, a move credited with reducing the number of unbanked individuals in the U.S. to its lowest level ever. ABA's award-winning #BanksNeverAskThat public education campaign has also earned national recognition for empowering consumers to identify and avoid phishing, smishing, and other scams before they cause harm. Under Nichols leadership, ABA launched a companion #PracticeSafeChecks campaign to educate consumers and small businesses on how to use checks safely, and he has advocated for the adoption of digital payment options whenever possible.

While leading the industry's advocacy efforts in Washington, Nichols has also modernized and enhanced ABA's operations and member support. ABA has been recognized as a Great Place to Work® every year since 2018.

From January 2020 to January 2023, Nichols served as chairman of the International Banking Federation, whose members include the national banking trade associations representing every major financial center. 

Nichols joined ABA following 10 years at the helm of the Financial Services Forum, a nonpartisan economic policy and advocacy organization whose members are the chief executive officers of the largest and most diversified financial institutions doing business in the United States. During his time at the Forum, Nichols led the industry through the financial crisis and the Dodd-Frank Act, guiding his members and the broader banking sector in its policy response and the law’s implementation.

Before joining the Forum, Nichols served in the George W. Bush administration as assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate.  In this role, he acted as chief spokesperson and head of the office of public liaison, serving as Treasury’s lead representative with the media, business, professional trade organizations, consumer groups, and the public.

Prior to that, he worked as communications director to the late Sen. Slade Gorton and press secretary to the late Rep. Jennifer Dunn. He began his career in public service in the West Wing as a White House aide in the George H.W. Bush administration.

Nichols is a recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor of the Department of the Treasury. He has also been consistently named one of the most influential people in Washington by Washingtonian, and one of Washington's top lobbyists by The Hill. The Washington Post has described him as one of the “new generation of trade group CEOs.”

Nichols serves on the board of governors of FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), is a Corporate Advisory Council member at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and is on the Advisory Board of Camp Sea Gull & Camp Seafarer in North Carolina.   

He is a graduate of the George Washington University.