Tell us a little about your business in your own words. – Bankers Trust (BankersTrust.com) is Iowa’s largest privately-owned community bank and has been in business for more than 100 years. We’ve served the Omaha community through commercial lending since 2006 and opened our full-service office at 192nd and Dodge in February, offering a full suite of business and personal banking, lending and wealth management services.
How did you get started in the business? – My first job out of college was as a credit analyst at a large publicly traded bank. From there, I have had almost every job you can have in the commercial banking world. I have worked on nearly every type of deal over my career and have a deep appreciation and passion for the integral part banks play in growing our communities.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Helping building the Bankers Trust Omaha operation from a small, 4-person loan production office into a 25-person full service bank over the past 7 years. It’s been fulfilling to see the growth of our team, culture and customers in that relatively short time.
Tell us a little about your family. – My wonderful parents are Omaha natives and still live in the same house that I grew up in. I have been married for almost 20 years to my amazing wife, Margaret. We have three fantastic kids, Connor (15), Annabelle (14) and Gavin (9). You can find us most nights or weekends on the sidelines of a soccer field or in a parking lot for pickup duty.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Two big turning points stand out: meeting my wife while at Xavier University in Cincinnati, and taking a chance on joining a small loan production office with Bankers Trust as it entered the Omaha market. That decision opened the door to tremendous growth, and I’m now excited to be leading our team here.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – My favorite thing to do is watch my kids play sports. When I am not on the sidelines, I enjoy playing golf and skiing.
Who inspires you? – My parents taught me, by example, what it takes to build a family—lessons I only fully understood once I became a parent myself. I’m also inspired daily by my colleagues at Bankers Trust, an amazing team that works hard, does the right thing, and has fun along the way.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Culture is how employees’ hearts and stomachs feel about Monday morning on Sunday night.
If you had a theme song, what would it be? – “Winds of Change” by The Scorpions has always been one of my favorites.
What is your favorite movie? – Hoosiers. I watched it over 100 times growing up, before almost every grade school basketball game.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Phone: (402) 408-1885; Email: sleighton@bankerstrust.com