John Wilson brings nearly 35 years of banking experience to his new position as senior vice president of commercial banking at UMB Bank. Wilson left U.S. Bank after 10 years in August, and neither side commented on the abrupt resignation. He’s now charged with developing relationships and growing existing accounts in southwest Missouri for publicly traded UMB (Nasdaq: UMBF), which recorded $106.5 million in 2011 year-end profits. Wilson is balancing the job with a notable obligation. He is the 2012 chairman of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.
Joining the Team As a U.S. Bank employee and manager and calling officer in Springfield, it didn’t take me long to come across UMB in the marketplace. UMB and Ann Marie Baker and her team are very highly thought of by their customers. You’d ask who they banked with, and they would say, ‘I bank with Ann Marie.’ And that was the end of the conversation. … I manage a portfolio of clients as well as assist the team in growing the portfolio and growing the brand name here in Springfield.
Executive Committee Chair I was very honored to be selected. The Springfield chamber is very influential in the Springfield community and statewide. ... I have had the opportunity to work with chambers in five cities I’ve worked in my career, and this staff is by far the most professional and most influential. I run the board meetings. … I participate in some of the legislative trips that the chamber makes to Jeff City, and I attend a variety of chamber-sponsored seminars and meetings here in Springfield. (On April 20), I was working with a company that is considering buying a new manufacturing facility here in Springfield. Rob Dixon – from the chamber – and I will be meeting with the president of the company when he comes to town in a couple of weeks. We are going to try to convince him to proceed with this project. That is not all that common, but in this particular case, that is what I’m going to do.
Leaving U.S. Bank I have a tremendous admiration for the hard working people at U.S. Bank, but I’m very glad to be here at UMB. And I do want to leave it at that.
Career Banker I went to work two weeks after I graduated from college. I had heard someone say that in banking you learn a little about a lot. I always had an interest in finance and marketing and accounting, and you need all of that in banking. At that time, a lot of people went into the banking industry, and it was felt that it was a good background if you wanted to leave into another industry. But I never left. I like it.
Starting the Startups I really enjoy working with entrepreneurs. … They are just fascinating people. I was the first loan officer for one of the very large warehouse companies, and I worked with them before they opened their doors. Now, this is a company that is worldwide, and the 76-year-old president just retired. I was there, but it wasn’t because of anything I did – I just had a file thrown on my desk one day. It’s a very large warehouse company in the Pacific Northwest. That’s an example, but I have had the privilege of working with several entrepreneurs who started out with very little and sold their companies for a lot of money. … A little business can grow to a certain level, and then they run into the challenges that larger businesses have. (Owners) then have to bring in other people to help them manage, and that’s not an easy transition. Then, if they get even larger, they have to turn over control to other people, and that’s not always easy. There are very few people that can do that all the way through every stage.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
