Pub. 5 2015-2016 Issue 4

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S January • February 2015 13 at all stages of their financial careers: beginning, middle and C-level. Ultimately, I hope that we can move forward together in this important work. At a very early age, I learned a key lesson that would stick with me for the rest of my life. I was raised by my three older sisters after my mother passed away when I was young, and their commitment to the success of our family taught me that women’s roles and voices offer unique and powerful harmony to both personal and professional pursuits. If I could tell my 22-year-old-self one thing with that lesson in mind, it would be to take advantage of the opportunities crossing your path that offer variety and challenge. Take on client-facing roles as early and as often as you can, and ask for feedback from peers and superiors. Don’t be afraid of critique; rather, embrace your weaknesses as areas for growth. As Moynihan also pointed out in the forum, there is a contin- ued lack of women in mid-career management across financial services institutions nationwide. If you looking to advance into management, I recommend finding a champion or sponsor to help guide and encourage you in your goals: a committedmentor will be able to act as a sounding board and propel you forward, so leverage their experience to advise your own career track and goals. Guidance I regularly share with mid-career finance professionals is to have the courage to exercise your voice and fight for a seat at the table, making sure to always be ready with something to offer in a meeting or group setting. Having the courage to speak up is the first step necessary to elevate your role –moving out of sales and into the revenue stream– and will help you secure a well-earned management position. If I could tell my 32-year-old-self one thing, it would be to cultivate relationships: the community around youwill be crucial as you advance. It is both our duty and joy as service profession- als to build and maintain great relationships that bolster the already rapid growth of our industry. By prioritizing positive re- lationships, we can forge a standard of excellence that will foster success for us, our customers, and for our greater community. To strengthen your career aspirations, forge friendships across the experience spectrumwith seasoned veterans, industry peers, and new professionals just starting out. Attend network- ing events both inside and outside of our industry to keep your mind sharp and your connections blossoming. And this goes for anyone in the trenches of middle-management: cultivate environments where friendship, mentorship andmutual respect are forefront. In doing so, we will lift our industry and others to a higher standard of professionalism, diversity and excellence. Finally, if you are in or near the C-level in your career path, I encourage you to continue to step outside your comfort zone to grow. Take on projects and roles that challenge you, or explore a new area of your company or line of business. A particularly rewarding practice is cultivating junior-level staff whose shoes you may have once occupied. I have taken on what I feel is a per- sonal charge to mentor and empower other women in banking and financial services, and it is one of the most fun and reward- ing parts of my career today. When an individual – no matter her title – raises her standards, it lifts and carries all of us on a tide of success and optimism. Steer with confidence, and set an example for others. Ultimately, the bench is deeper and wider with both sexes on it. In American homes, women make more financial decisions than men, and outside of the home continue to make powerful investment decisions. For example, women investment groups tend to out-performmale groups. As we continue to do great work in our industry and our community, the it’s important to remem- ber that a successful future depends on the empowerment and success of women. To hinder the chances of women is to hinder our community from pools of talent, creativity and leadership. On a final note, I present this charge to my fellow industry leaders, both men and women alike: focus on empowering the women around you and throughout your organization, for the good of our community, our industry, and the future health of our nation. As an example of successful empowerment, I’m honored to be the first woman to serve on the Colorado Banker’s Association board alongside bright, passionate and visionary individuals who are joining me in this important work. I look forward to continuing to widen the bench, together, for many years to come.  Jodi Rolland is themarket president for Denver and state president for Colorado for Bank of America. That role is on top of Rolland’s job as managing director, Heartlandmarket executive for Merrill Lynch U.S. Wealth Management. In her Merrill Lynch role, she oversees more than 950 Merrill Lynch advisers in 12 states, and more than $90 billion in client assets. At BofA, she’s in charge of the bank’s corporate social responsibility activities, including philanthropic giving, community development, employee volunteerism and diversity. Bank of America has had commercial, business banking andmortgage operations in Colorado since 2008, as well as ATMs, and its first retail branch opened in Cherry Creek in 2014. Additional branches are slated to open in Highlands Ranch and Boulder this year. For more information, visit www.BankofAmerica.com and visit @BankofAmerica on Twitter. New Jodi Rolland Article Regular Feature to Discuss Industry Issues With the article by Bank of America’s Jodi Rolland (page 12), CBA is kicking off a new, regular feature in our magazine to help our readers learn more about the individuals who serve on our board of directors. This space is a platform for them to discuss industry issues that are important to them and to introduce themselves to fellow bankers. The 24-member board of directors of the Colorado Bankers Association leads the organization in its policy and industry advocacy efforts. The organization strives to ensure the Board is representative of banks in every part of the state. Directors serve three-year terms; officers serve yearlong terms.