INDEPENDENT ADVISOR · ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA · NEW YORK
The rigor of a bank,
the attention of one person.
I'm Frank Troutman, and for thirty years I ran the operations behind City National Bank's Entertainment Division. The bank that the music, film, and live-entertainment industry relied on over 70 years and counting.
Now I work right alongside owners, one at a time, on the controls, due diligence, and everyday habits that keep a growing company on solid ground.
30+
Years in banking operations
$20B
Book of business overseen
SVP
City National Bank, Entertainment Division
100+
Client-service team led, at its peak
ABOUT
A senior operator,
on your side of the table.
For thirty years I ran the operational engine of City National Bank's Entertainment Division — a $20-billion book of business, a team of more than a hundred at its peak, and the controls, reporting, and client delivery behind all of it.
I'm a hands-on operator. I stay close to the detail while keeping the big picture in view, and for most of my career I was the bridge between senior leadership and the people doing the work — the one who figured out how to actually make a plan happen.
Now I do that for owners directly, one at a time. No account team, no handoff — just me, working with you start to finish.
ALSO
City National Bank (an RBC company) — 1995–2026
SVP, Entertainment Division; built the New York office
AML · KYC · BSA compliance
Past Board Chair, New York Musical Festival
Mentor, IFP Incubator
Supporter, Broadway Cares & the Entertainment Community Fund
A first call
A relaxed thirty to sixty minutes, no charge, to hear what you're working on and figure out whether I'm the right fit.
A focused engagement
A defined piece of work or a steady retainer — scoped to what you actually need, billed simply.
An advisor on standby
A standing relationship for the moments when something doesn't feel right and you want a seasoned read.
HOW I HELP
The five ways I help.
It usually starts with a conversation, then a careful look at where your money moves, who can touch it, and where time or trust quietly leaks. From there we figure out what to fix first, together — and I stick around for as long as I'm useful.
How do you know?
Controls that prevent fraud
I help you close the gaps where money, decisions, and access meet — sized for your business, not a bank's.
Who are you dealing with?
Due diligence
A simple, repeatable way to vet clients, vendors, and partners, so you can say yes quickly and safely.
A second set of eyes
A second read
A thirty-year operator's read on your plan, your numbers, and the risks you may be too close to see.
Pass the exam
Compliance readiness
AML, KYC, BSA and the rest, translated into procedures your team will actually follow.
Find what it's costing you
Operating efficiency
I find the waste hiding in handoffs and approvals — and more often than not, the fix pays for itself.
Internal controls aren't a binder of policies. They're the answer to one question — "how do you know?"
- FRANK TROUTMAN
FIELD NOTES
A few things thirty years taught me.
ON CONTROLS
How do you know?
Every control exists to answer one question. A binder of policies isn't the same as knowing.
ON DUE DILIGENCE
The vendor you didn’t check.
The worst surprises arrive through a counterparty nobody vetted. One simple habit prevents most.
ON EFFICIENCY
Where the waste hides
It's rarely rent or headcount — it's the handoffs. Fix the workflow and you get the energy back.
I write these now and then. Want them in your inbox? Just say so when you reach out.
CONTACT
Start a conversation.
Tell me what you're working through — I'd like to hear it. You'll hear back from me, not an assistant, within one business day.
hello@franktroutman.com
PHONE
(212) 302-1028
BASED IN
New York City
RESPONSE TIME