Robin C. Cottingham Only Black woman VP in nation retires from Key Bank

For 38 years, Robin C. Cottingham served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operational Risk Officer in Key’s Risk Management Group and a member of Key’s Executive Council, and was the only Black woman to hold such a position at any bank in America.

Responsible for administering the Operational Risk Program for Key, Cottingham

had 38 years of financial services experience, all with KeyBank. She joined Society Bank a predecessor of KeyBank, as a Management Trainee, and has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout her career including: Compliance & Operational Risk Officer supporting the Corporate Bank, Corporate Bank Risk Information Security and Control Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and, Director of Corporate Product Management within Global Treasury Management, Director of Quality Management for KeyBank N.A., and District Market Leader of the Community Banking Group for the Greater Cleveland District.

A graduate of Baldwin Wallace University where she earned a bachelors of arts degree in business finance and executive masters of business administration, respectively. Cottingham also graduated from Key’s Executive Experience at Weatherhead Program, and is an alumnus of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Kappa Kappa Chapter.

Her vast community involvement includes the following: Board and Executive Committee Member of United Way of Greater Cleveland and Chair of the United Way’s Community Impact Cabinet; Chair Emeritus of the Hiram College Board of Visitors; Baldwin-Wallace College Board of Trustees, Executive Committee Member and Chair of the Governance and Trustee Committee, and Emeritus Board Member of The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs Visiting Committee. Former Board affiliations included: Board Member of The Thomas White Foundation, Board Member of The Kenneth Scott Trust, Past Chair of The Center for Community Solutions Board of Directors; Boy Scouts of America – Greater Cleveland Council-Vice President Executive Committee & Chair of the Relationship Division, and the Institute for Educational Renewal.

Additionally, Cottingham is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and has received numerous awards including: Southern Christian Leadership Excellence in Corporate Business Award, United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 2014 Volunteer of the Year Award, induction into the Hiram College Garfield Society, YWCA Women of Professional Excellence Award, 2012 Northeast Ohio African American Library Culture Center (NOAALCC) Spotlight Honoree, African-American Family Pioneers & Trailblazers Award, the Southern Christian Leadership Excellence in Service Award, Kaleidoscope 40/40 Club, and the City Year Cleveland Community Champion Award.