Jennie Schlei

You could say that Jennie Schlei fell into the role of sponsor. She was a supervisor at our Wauwatosa branch, and with the ongoing need to train people, Jennie was the most logical candidate. “I guess you could say I was appointed,” she says with a laugh.

Now a branch operations services manager with 22 years under her belt, Jennie would have a hard time trying to count how many new employees she has sponsored.

As steeped as she is in bank operations, Jennie says one of the most challenging aspects of sponsoring is starting from scratch with someone who has no banking experience.

“When you’re on the customer side of the teller counter, you see transactions being completed, but you have no idea of the sales aspect of banking or of the many, many details involved in providing the services and products North Shore does,” she says.

If she ever feels a twinge of impatience, it certainly is not evident. “The one recurring comment I have heard the staff make about Jennie is that she is a very patient person,” says Branch Manager Mary Rose Balzer. “She’s really good at helping new employees feel at ease.”

Mary Rose agrees that learning about a bank’s inside operations can be overwhelming. “Jennie takes the time to find out how each new person learns best and adapts to each employee to allow them to learn and understand their job,” she adds.

“I really enjoy seeing someone do well, succeed, and get the opportunity to be promoted,” Jennie says.

Despite her years of experience, Jennie says that she herself is still learning, and sponsoring plays a role in that. “I get used to doing things one way, but when I go back to basics and train someone, new things always come up. I continue to pick up tips and upgrade my skills and knowledge,” she says.