Hoosier Banker 11 Kristin Marcuccilli, GLMIJ STIVEXMRK SJƤGIV of STAR Bank, Fort Wayne, serves the Indiana Bankers Association as president of the Future Leadership Division. Kristin: “There has to be a willingness to recalibrate and refresh those processes or expectations that have been in place for a long time.” Amber: “It can be difficult when you have different generations within your workforce. Some folks think everything’s fine just the way it is, and they don’t want to make any changes. But doing the same thing over and over doesn’t breed success in an organization. Generational differences can make it difficult to get everybody on board when they think differently about the flow and direction of the business.” Kristin: “When you compare our industry to other industries ‒ particularly innovative and forward-thinking technology companies ‒ you realize the importance of supporting a culture that embraces failure. In taking more risk, you might have to kill a project or a product, but then other times it works out really well. There’s been a longstanding attitude of ‘This probably won’t be a good idea, so let’s not try it.’ That kills the innovative spirit that could help overcome staleness.” Annette: “That’s an excellent point coming from you, based on your age, and the way that you view it. I admire that, because I’m part of a cross-generation where you still operate very conservatively, more risk-averse. I think that’s a great characteristic for young people to have.” Amber: “Much of the success of the IBA today is attributable to Joe DeHaven,* who is an entrepreneur at heart. Joe had the courage and the entrepreneurial spirit to try and fail and try again. Because of that, in an environment where we had an economic recession and Indiana lost 50 banks in the last 10 years, the Association is stronger today than ever.” Cindy: “It’s especially important in Indiana, which has more economic challenges, to be innovative. It forces us to be even better performers. That’s when we create better products and services to serve the communities.” These next four questions are directed to individual panelists. Cindy, how does the work of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis help set the foundation for the success of Indiana banks? Cindy: “The Federal Home Loan Bank System and the Indianapolis Bank have been around for over 80 years. Our purpose is to provide reliable access to liquidity to our member financial institutions ‒ for us, that’s in Indiana and Michigan ‒ for community development and housing finance, while offering them a market return on their investments. “Commercial banks became eligible for FHLBI membership as a result of FIRREA back in 1989, and now they are the predominant member segment in the Indianapolis district. We currently serve more than 100 commercial and savings banks in Indiana. “It’s really important for us to be able to partner with our Indiana banks. It’s crucial that we are listening to their needs and meeting them, whether through our wholesale advance program or our Mortgage Purchase Program. “I should also point out the importance of FHLBI’s Affordable Housing Program, which enables our members to make a lasting impact in their communities. Each year we set aside 10 percent of our profits to fund that program. For any members not yet engaged with AHP, I encourage them to check it out.” Annette, what changes in leadership opportunity have you observed in banking throughout the years? Annette: “When I started 25 years ago, managers wore many different hats. For example our investment adviser was also our marketing director. Many areas of the bank now require a dedicated individual with the required education or experience. Areas of specialty like compliance, information security and technology have contributed greatly to more opportunity for leadership positions within the organization. “The challenge is sustaining all of these higher-level positions, while trying to be efficient. The regulatory burden has forced us to increase our investment in people and technology to comply. The benefit to the community is we pay for the expertise in providing more high-paying positions; the detriment is that it’s at a greater cost to the bank. “I’m a huge advocate for leadership training. I didn’t have that opportunity early in my career, because it wasn’t readily available when I took my role. The IBA has been very proactive in growing future leaders, which I admire and appreciate, because it helps me as a community bank to offer the type of education that people are going to need to carry the bank into the future. “I participated in the IBA’s Leadership Development Program as a member of the first graduating class. I think we all need to get out of our comfort zones regularly to grow. We encourage all of our future leaders to take advantage of networking opportunities, even if not bank-specific, to get out and experience what other companies’ challenges and opportunities are. For me, education is a key component to the longevity of our bank.” Amber, how will a smooth leadership transition at the IBA benefit the Indiana banking community? Amber: “I am entering leadership at the IBA from an enviable position. Joe has done a terrific job of setting us up for success. We have a tenured and highly capable staff, we Amber R. Van Til is president and chief I\IGYXMZI SJƤGIV SJ the Indiana Bankers Association.
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