Jeff Newcom on board effectiveness
From Protiviti’s Board Perspectives / COO Spotlight with Jeff Newcom of Old National Bank · · Protiviti
“High performing boards are very valuable because they have broad exposure and different lenses from various industries. When boards focus on people, capabilities, and strategies, it leads to more value-added dialogue rather than just compliance or review discussions.”
On , Jeff Newcom, Chief Operations Officer at OLD NATIONAL BANCORP, spoke about board effectiveness during Protiviti’s Board Perspectives / COO Spotlight with Jeff Newcom of Old National Bank on Protiviti.
About Jeff Newcom
Jeff Newcom, chief operations officer at Old National Bank, discussed the evolving role of the COO in a podcast with Protiviti. He said that while the focus on automation, process improvement, and operating models has remained consistent over the past 15 to 20 years, the pace of change has accelerated due to technology and AI. Newcom stated that a significant portion of his recent work has involved assessing whether the organization has the right tools, people, and processes to capitalize on evolving technologies. Newcom noted that his board’s recent focus has included AI, scalability, infrastructure, and operating models, and that discussions have shifted toward strategic topics rather than compliance or review. He said that in banking, a highly regulated industry, the risk appetite for AI is lower than in tech firms, and that the organization is spending more time on governance and piloting use cases rather than execution. Newcom also emphasized that high-performing boards provide value through diverse perspectives and that board discussions are more meaningful when aligned with long-term strategic plans and performance measurement.