My job is oversee and execute KeyBank’s Compliance Risk Management program, which aims to promote a strong compliance culture that emphasizes customer experience and financial wellness and ensures Key meets regulatory requirements and identifies emerging risks.
Why Mount Union?
I chose Mount Union because of the strong business program I had learned about. As odd as it may sound, I loved the world of finance and the stock market at the early age of 12 and knew I wanted to make a career out of it.
From Campus to Career
While on campus, I was a brother of Phi Kappa Tau and a member of the tennis team. I still often talk on the phone with people from Mount Union. My best friend is an alumnus and we have conversations weekly. I developed strong bonds and relationships at Mount Union and if I had attended a bigger institution, I’m not sure if I would have made those deep connections. Mount also had a co-op program that I was able to take advantage of while I was on campus, and that led to having a job with First Federal Bank in my hometown of Zanesville once I graduated.
Career Journey
After being at First Federal in Zanesville, I accepted positions in Richmond, Virginia and then Winston-Salem, North Carolina. From there, I moved to New York City, the heart of the finance world, within seven years of graduating! My time in New York was exciting, as I led significant anti-money laundering engagements where I unveiled compliance program deficiencies and corrupt bank clients engaging in illegal activities. I then happily returned to my Ohio roots and joined Fifth Third Bank, followed by US Bank. At those institutions, I led large teams of up to 300 people. I learned that cultivating and working with diverse teams is very important. I’ve now been with KeyBank since 2015. Throughout my career I find that I frequently draw from the foundation and principals gained at Mount Union: hard-work, integrity and leadership, to name a few.
Rewarding Career
I feel very grateful for the path Mount Union put me on that led to my rewarding career. I have strong relationships with many colleagues across my industry and have found those connections to be one of the best parts of my professional life. The risk and compliance field also involves a lot of challenge and, contrary to what many might think, many exciting situations. My career has been 30 years of non-stop learning and I love it!
Advice to Prospective Risk Management and Insurance Students
If you want a career that involves intellectual and strategic challenges and brings real value to the firms you’ll be working for, risk management and compliance are great fields for that. One benefit is that there is such a need for well-educated risk management professionals right now. In the next decade, many who have been in the industry for a long time are going to be retiring and employers will be looking for strong graduates. I’m very excited Mount Union has this new program to help increase the depth of talent in the field.