Kala Gibson serves as executive vice president and chief corporate responsibility officer at Fifth Third Bancorp. He oversees the corporate citizenship work, which includes Community Development Banking, Community Impact Banking, Inclusion and Sustainability. He also serves as Chairman of the Fifth Third Foundation’s distribution committee and the Corporate Sustainability Committee.

Kala joined Fifth Third in 2011 as business banking executive for Eastern Michigan.He became the Bank’s Head of Business Banking in 2013, overseeing the division’s strategic planning, operations, sales force, credit fulfillment and product development. In 2020, he oversaw the lending component of the Bank’s Paycheck Protection Program and in 2021, led the acquisition of Provide Inc.

Kala started his career at Comerica Bank in Detroit and has more than 30 years of experience in business banking and credit administration.

Kala earned a   degree in business administration from Grand Valley State University and an MBA from Michigan State University. He also is a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Wharton Leadership Program.

Kala is the 2024 Chairman of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) board, Chairman of the Minority Business Accelerator board and a member of the Executive Leadership Council, an organization committed to increasing the ranks of Black executives at major world corporations. He also serves on the boards of the National Urban League, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority Board (SORTA), Dan Beard Council, Scouting America and ArtsWave, Greater Cincinnati’s unified arts support organization. Kala has received several awards for his civic and professional contributions, including Savoy’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America and Crain’s Detroit 40 under 40.