It was with shock and sadness that we watched events in the banking world unfold late on Friday afternoon. Scrolling through the reports coming from news outlets and social media, we saw a flourishing bank (America’s 16th largest) crash and close within hours.
This was especially poignant for our team, as this was an organisation with whom we’ve been preferred suppliers for over 10 years.
Over that period, we’ve been on an incredible journey. Originally collaborating to launch the organisation’s UK commercial banking arm, we evolved to become a trusted partner of both its UK and US operations. In that time we’ve worked on one-pagers, large-scale reports, pitch decks, website pages, internal comms and event collateral. The list of what we’ve produced for multiple teams within the bank is endless. For the past decade, not a day has gone by without a request for a new design or to roll out a fresh piece of brand messaging.
We really felt like an extended part of their marketing arm. And working with team members at all levels of the organisation, we’ve made professional connections and friendships that will endure. Despite only meeting virtually – the Atlantic Ocean is no barrier to digital communication – we know about these people’s likes and dislikes, their family lives as well as their work personas.
It is with them we share our sadness today.
In a busy corporate environment, finding time to enquire after a supplier’s kids is admirable. It speaks volumes about the professionals we’ve had the pleasure of working with.
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We like to think we’ve played our part too. From the success of SVB UK to the ongoing support of its global operations, we’ve pushed the boundaries of its brand, encouraging a forward-thinking company to innovate just that bit more and helping them to establish themselves as one of Forbes’ best American banks.
The mutual respect we held saw our input into design matters respected, and earned internal referrals between teams, often accompanied by glowing endorsements. We’ll always be grateful for that.
While the effects of the last few days are devastating for SVB employees past and present, we know their skills, professionalism and drive will see them in demand, and succeed at whatever venture they follow next.
To them, we say thank you for the memories. This isn’t the end.
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