Editors’ Note

Evelyn Castillo is currently a Managing Director and Head of Advanced Client Solutions at Bank of America after having joined the company in 2009 and progressing through a number of roles of increasing responsibility. In her current role, she leads a team of more than 900 bankers across 13 centralized sites. Her organization manages four million client interactions each year through phone, digital chat and video, delivering banking solutions that help clients achieve their financial goals, while also ensuring operational excellence and risk management, driving year-over-year revenue growth and expanding market share through innovative business strategies. Castillo earned a bachelor of science degree in political science and government from John Jay College.

Company Brief

Bank of America (bankofamerica.com) is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately four million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries.

How do you describe Bank of America’s culture and values?

At Bank of America, our values are at the core of everything we do. They reflect a shared commitment to serving our clients, supporting our communities, and investing in our teammates – while delivering responsible, sustainable growth.

A question we often ask – “What would you like the power to do?” – captures how we bring those values to life. It’s about truly listening and understanding the needs of the individuals, families, and businesses we serve, and then delivering the solutions, guidance, and support to help them move forward.

That focus on understanding is central to our culture. It drives how we build relationships, how we show up for clients at every stage of their financial journey, and how we create opportunities for our teammates to grow and succeed. Ultimately, our culture is grounded in a simple belief: when we stay connected to our purpose of helping make financial lives better, we create value not just for our clients, but for our communities and for each other.

What does “Responsible Growth” mean to you?

Responsible Growth is about taking a disciplined, long-term approach to business – one that creates value for our clients, teammates, communities, and shareholders. For me, it starts with putting the client at the center of everything we do. That means deepening existing relationships and fostering new connections across our eight lines of business. From students opening their first bank account and families preparing to purchase their first home to entrepreneurs and complex global businesses, our clients can rely on Bank of America’s solutions and services to help achieve their financial goals.

It also requires a strong focus on risk management. In a dynamic industry, we face new and evolving risks every day. Understanding how to identify and mitigate those risks allows us to protect our business while continuing to innovate and serve our clients with confidence.

Just as importantly, Responsible Growth is about investing in our foundation – driving operational excellence, creating a great place to work, and supporting the communities we serve. This includes integrating digital capabilities that make banking easier and more seamless, supporting the well-being of our teammates, and partnering with nonprofit organizations to drive positive change.

How are technology and AI impacting the future of banking?

Innovation, to serve our clients and anticipate their evolving needs, drives our approach to technology and ultimately our business. As our company continues to adopt the use of innovative technology, including AI to meet and anticipate the needs of our clients and 212,000 employees, listening to feedback remains crucial to our ability to provide safe, effective, and convenient solutions. By leveraging AI at scale across our global operations, we are expanding capabilities, optimizing performance and driving exceptional client experiences. Since its launch in 2018, Bank of America’s AI-driven virtual financial assistant, Erica, has surpassed 3.4 billion client interactions, underscoring how investments in AI can drive innovation and deliver value to clients.

What is Bank of America’s approach to digital transformation?

Bank of America delivers industry-leading digital capabilities at scale to serve individuals, families, and businesses. With more than a $14 billion annual spend on technology and more than $4 billion directed to new technology initiatives in 2026, we are continually investing in solutions that improve the client experience and drive operational efficiencies across our lines of business.

As of Q1 2026, Bank of America’s digital client interactions reached their highest engagement to date: 59 million verified digital users connected with their finances approximately 4.3 billion times, through digital logins and proactive alerts. As more consumers and businesses engage through digital channels, feedback helps us understand changes in consumer behavior, from small businesses to wealth management clients, and informs how we advance our digital and AI capabilities to offer more personalized tools and tailored insights.

Thanks to our more than 8,500 talented inventors in 42 states and 15 countries and a culture that empowers teammates to explore and innovate, Bank of America holds nearly 8,400 patents and pending patent applications. More than 1,600 of these patents are AI and machine learning-focused, representing 19 percent of our total patent portfolio, the most of any U.S. financial services company.

How critical is it for Bank of America to maintain the human touch and personal connection with its clients?

While continuing to invest in technology and AI-driven tools, high-tech, we maintain a high-touch model for serving our clients. We meet clients where they are and enable them to bank how and when they prefer. Today we operate about 3,500 financial centers, as they remain a cornerstone of client service. By the end of 2027, Bank of America will open more than 150 new financial centers in 60 markets. From new to newly renovated financial centers across the country, these spaces are comfortable and inviting for clients to seek advice and connect directly with our advisors. In the last decade, we have invested over $5 billion in our financial center network to open new locations and modernize existing centers.

What qualities do you look for when attracting talent to Bank of America?

At Bank of America, being a great place to work starts with a deep commitment to our people. We invest in our teammates by offering strong pay, competitive benefits, and meaningful opportunities to build long-term careers. Our focus is on skills-based hiring – ensuring we are identifying talent with the capabilities and potential to grow, while also expanding access to opportunity across the communities we serve.

We look for individuals who bring a growth mindset – people who are curious, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning. In a rapidly evolving environment, the ability to apply new knowledge and embrace change is essential, not only for personal success, but for driving innovation and delivering for our clients.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are also critical to how we operate. We are intentional about broadening our talent pipelines, including through expanded hiring from the military and community colleges. These efforts reflect our belief that talent is everywhere, and that creating more pathways into the company strengthens both our workforce and the communities we serve.

Ultimately, our philosophy is simple: when we invest in the growth of our teammates, we drive the growth of our business. By helping individuals reach their full potential, we build a stronger, more resilient organization.

What do you tell young people about the types of careers the industry offers?

Our industry is incredibly dynamic and rewarding. It’s a line of work that is constantly evolving and allows us to make meaningful differences in our clients’ financial lives. There are so many opportunities to learn about yourself and others while growing your skills and deepening your impact in your community, and beyond.

When you look to the future of banking, what excites you the most?

What excites me most about the future of banking is the continued evolution of technology, particularly AI, and the opportunities it creates to better serve our clients. As we expand our digital capabilities and learn from the data these tools provide, we are gaining deeper insights into how to support individuals at every stage of their financial journey. This allows us to deliver more personalized, relevant solutions and meet clients where they are – whether that’s through digital channels or in person.

At the same time, I’m especially energized by the role technology can play in strengthening – not replacing – human connection. When used thoughtfully, technology enables us to be more efficient and informed, which ultimately gives us more time to focus on what matters most: listening to our clients, understanding their goals, and building lasting relationships. It’s about using innovation to enhance the dialogue, not diminish it.

As we look ahead, the responsibility – and opportunity – is to continue integrating these technologies in a way that deepens trust and maintains the human element that is so critical to our industry. If we get that balance right, we can create a more connected, responsive, and client-centered banking experience than ever before.