Making Every Moment Matter: How KeyBank Transformed Culture and Client Experience and Continues to Break Records

Overview

KeyBank’s “Moments Matter” initiative exemplifies a holistic and sustainable cultural transformation that has significantly improved employee engagement and client loyalty. Spearheaded by Victor Aranda and championed by executive leadership, this initiative aligns organizational behavior with strategic goals through a thoughtful and multi-dimensional approach.

Challenge

In a competitive banking landscape, KeyBank sought to differentiate itself through consistent, emotionally resonant customer experiences while enhancing internal culture and teammate satisfaction. The organization recognized a need for:

• Stronger emotional connections with clients
• Greater consistency across touchpoints
• Improved employee empowerment and training
• A unifying cultural vision

Results

The initiative has delivered measurable cultural and performance improvements:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) increased from 57 in 2019 to 85 in 2025, with consistent quarterly growth
• Enhanced emotional connections with clients, boosting loyalty and retention
• Strengthened employee engagement, particularly in frontline roles
• Created a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent
• Contributed to a record-breaking performance year in conjunction with KeyBank’s 200-year anniversary

Solution

“Moments Matter” Culture Framework

At the core of this transformation is the “Moments Matter” initiative, anchored by the action statement: “Make Every Moment Matter.” This culture-shaping program is structured around three key pillars:

• Head: Deep expertise and streamlined processes
• Heart: Respectful, empathetic treatment of clients and teammates
• Hero: Empowerment to go above and beyond in every interaction

Key tools and practices include:

• “Always and Never” standards: Clear behavioral guidelines for consistency
• “Day in the Life” videos: Empathy-building tools to connect employees to the customer experience
• Regular content refreshes: Updated marketing and training materials to maintain relevance

Implementation Strategy—Here is what KeyBank did to make this work and set Client Satisfaction and NPS Score records four years into the initiative…

The program was deployed at scale:

• Over 8,000 employees trained across retail branches and contact centers
• Six-week initial rollout, followed by a seven-week series of daily huddles to reinforce key concepts.  Today, daily huddles still take place, and all content discussed is tied back to the Moments Matter initiative.
• Full integration into onboarding, team meetings, and sales/service processes.  Every meeting starts with a Moments Matter story.

A unique Ambassador Program was also created to sustain momentum:

• KeyBank identified 25 high-performing leaders across the organization.  These leaders were selected based on influence and coaching abilities, not just job titles
• These ambassadors underwent two days of intensive training to become internal champions and facilitators across the organization.  They then went out to all of KeyBank’s regions to train, coach and advocate for the initiative.  This group of advocates still meets today to discuss best practices and strategies going forward.

Lessons Learned & Best Practices

1. Executive Sponsorship is Critical: Consistent support from leadership, especially from executive champions like Kevin, drives organization-wide adoption.
2. Culture is Built Daily: Embedding the initiative into daily rituals (huddles, onboarding, meetings) ensures sustained behavior change.
3. Select Leaders by Influence, Not Title: Cultural ambassadors should be chosen based on their impact and ability to coach, not hierarchy.
4. Consistency Drives Loyalty: A “start-over-every-day” mentality helps maintain high service standards and emotional readiness for all client interactions.
5. Ongoing Reinforcement is Essential: Regular content refreshes and storytelling (e.g., videos) help keep the initiative top-of-mind.

Conclusion

KeyBank’s “Moments Matter” initiative serves as a best-in-class example of how a culture-driven approach can produce tangible business results. By aligning employee behaviors with a clear purpose, supporting those behaviors with practical tools, and integrating the program across the employee lifecycle, KeyBank has successfully cultivated a high-performance, high-loyalty environment poised for long-term success.

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