Nichols also announced ABA efforts to help banks innovate, including the association’s first direct investments in fintech companies. At ABA’s annual convention in 2018, he challenged large core processing firms to improve the services they provide to community banks, especially when it comes to implementing mobile banking, real-time payments and other services customers are demanding. As CEO, Nichols has increased participation of women in the ranks of ABA’s officers and executive staff. Within his first four years at the association, ABA elected the second and third women to chair the association in its 145-year history. As of 2019, the association had a female chief human resources officer, chief policy officer, general counsel, chief financial officer and senior adviser, five out of the association’s nine C-suite executive staff.