Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> April 2, 2012
William J. Small is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at First Defiance Financial Corp. He first became affiliated with the thrift business in 1978, when he joined First Federal of Defiance as an Assistant Branch Manager, and was promoted to company Vice President in 1979. He served in this position until 1987, when he assumed the role of President and CEO of the Hicksville Building, Loan and Savings Company. In 1994, he returned to First Federal of Defiance as Senior Vice President. He was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in 1996, and Chairman and CEO of First Federal Bank, and in January 1999, President, Chairman and CEO of First Defiance Financial. Mr. Small served on the Federal Reserve board's Thrift Advisory Committee from 2002 to 2004, serving as its Chairman in 2004. He is on the board of the American Bankers Association, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and is Past Chairman of The Ohio League of Financial Institutions and Ohio Bankers League. Mr. Small attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology and business administration from Siena Heights College. Profile
TWST: Please begin with a brief introduction to First Defiance, including a few key highlights from its history and an overview of its current operations.
Mr. Small: We were originally founded as
