PORTLAND, Ore., (September 13, 2018) – Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ), announced today the launch of Umpqua Go-To™, the bank’s first human digital banking platform made publicly available to current and prospective customers.

According to Cort O’Haver, Umpqua Bank president and CEO, today’s announcement is a game-changer for the banking industry and positions Umpqua to lead another transformation in how banks deliver a differentiated and valued customer experience.

“It’s been less than a year since we unveiled our human digital banking strategy and cast a bold vision for the possibility of a uniquely human customer experience in the digital space. Today, that vision has become a reality with our Go-To banking platform,” said O’Haver. “Our approach is grounded in a core belief that human interaction matters in banking—especially in the moments when life and money meet. That’s why Umpqua’s approach to digital banking is different. Instead of using technology to create distance between our associates and customers, our Go-To platform leverages technology to create a more meaningful customer experience that helps people make smart financial decisions.”

How Go-To Works

Access to the Go-To platform is free for customers regardless of account balance and gives them a dedicated personal banker devoted to their financial needs. After downloading the app, customers choose their own personal banker based on professional background, expertise, personal interests and location. Then, using secured text and chat capabilities they connect with their personal banker to resolve issues, explore financial opportunities and receive expertise.

This spring, Umpqua completed three successful pilots for Go-To indicating the platform strengthens the human connection between customers and bankers, while also enhancing efficiency and adding value to customers and the bank.

The Next Step: Go-To for Small Businesses

Umpqua has also identified a significant opportunity with small business owners, who fill many roles in their enterprise and highly value both digital convenience and financial advice from a banking partner. Umpqua is working with Seed, a Portland-based fintech company focused on digital banking and financial management for small businesses, to develop a personalized banking experience that will give customers dramatically enhanced digital capabilities to easily open, fund and manage accounts critical to business operations. That experience will be further complemented by Go-To, giving Umpqua small business customers a sophisticated human digital banking platform designed exclusively for small businesses.

“Go-To marks a culmination of our first-phase strategy for consumer banking, but we’re just beginning when it comes human digital banking and what it means for all Umpqua customers,” said O’Haver. “Umpqua’s work with Seed reflects our commitment to bring human digital banking to all our customers—both consumer and business.”