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2012 Men of the Year Honoree: Gil Trout

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Gil Trout is a banker with a keen sense of balance – and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Trout, chairman and CEO of Kansas City-based UMB Bank’s Greater Missouri Region, is an active community advocate, with roles including serving as chairman of the Springfield Workshop Foundation, which supports Springfield Workshop Inc., a private, not-for-profit corporation that employs people with disabilities.

He also serves on the board of directors for CoxHealth and is vice president of the board for the CoxHealth Foundation.

“A Welsh proverb states that ‘A leader must also be a bridge,’” Trout says. “I take time in my daily life to bridge and blend my life in such a way that I make time for job duties [and] community involvement and ground myself in faith and family.”

Trout, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southwest Baptist University and a Master of Business Administration from Avila University, joined UMB in 1988.

“Guiding a productive segment of a well-respected financial institution demonstrates my tangible leadership qualities such as vision, focus and the ability to activate people toward a common goal,” Trout says. “The key roles I play in our community – and with individuals – are the true demonstration of my leadership. My leadership style is founded on being present in the moment with people [and] maintaining compassion and perspective in easy and challenging times.”

Trout’s current community engagements also include serving as a board member of the Missouri Colleges Fund and as a business advisory board member of the Students in Free Enterprise chapter at SBU. He also serves as a mentor with Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield and is a forum moderator for the Ozarks Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

No matter which hat he’s wearing, Trout says developing others is rewarding for him.

“I am energized by assisting people in discovering their strengths, opportunities and abilities,” says Trout, who’s also a volunteer youth tennis coach and vice president of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Missouri District.

At UMB, Trout meets regularly with associates, helping them find new avenues for professional growth.

“I provide them with opportunities to build their talents into success (and) have mentored several individuals as they have grown into new leadership roles,” he adds. “I understand the processes people must take to achieve their goals and find a quiet sense of inner gratification when they meet those goals.”

Click here for full coverage of the 2012 Men of the Year.


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