Kutz not surprised he’s been here 20 years
“They took a chance on me,” says VP internal audit Randy Kutz of getting hired 20 years ago. “I had no banking experience at all.”

In 2001, Randy was working for a family-owned arts-and-crafts supply store. He’d been there 23 years. “I got hired as a bookkeeper and ended up basically running the place at the end,” he says. Faced with too much competition from larger big-box stores, he made the call to close up shop. It was the right decision, but would obviously leave him without a job.

“We were banking with North Shore at the time, so I asked our rep here if he would send my résumé around. I’d always wanted to try banking,” Randy says. “And just at that time, a staff auditor position opened up. I was in my mid-40s, and that’s kind of late in life for a career change, but it worked out perfectly.” Read more about his successful career here!

Guardiola kicks off series in Shepherd Express
Earlier this month, we kicked off our “You Can” series in Milwaukee’s Shepherd Express. The alternative newspaper and website featured the first of three pieces sharing financial education tips, this one by North End branch manager Ray Guardiola.

Ray wrote about general financial wellness. In September, Shorewood branch manager Shannon Weber will cover finances for kids and family, and mortgage loan officer Greg Kroll will discuss home lending in an October article. The bank will also host an event in the North End neighborhood in October, giving attendees a chance to meet and network with Ray, Shannon, Greg, and other North Shore Bank experts. Check out Ray’s article today, and keep an eye out for the next installments! •••

Results of two surveys show bank’s success
To see how we can continue to strengthen our — already strong! — relationships with customers, North Shore Bank leadership recently looked at the results of two customer surveys conducted earlier this year.

For one survey, we partnered with financial services and research firm Raddon, and were one of 59 banks involved. The other survey results came from the Forbes Best-in-State list, which named North Shore Bank one of Wisconsin’s top five banks for the third year.

By and large, the two surveys reinforced each other’s findings: Our customers are more likely to recommend North Shore Bank to friends and family members than customers of other banks are. They consider our employees knowledgeable and give our branches and online services higher-than-average ratings.

What does that mean going forward? We know we have opportunities to proactively help customers improve their financial health. We will also continue to prioritize investments in digital channels, as 64 percent of our customers prefer using digital channels. While our share of wallet with existing customers is strong, addressing our value proposition around pricing and fees will improve our wallet share with less loyal customers. Lastly, when our customers experience servicing issues, we will focus on areas where we can improve our speed to resolution.

“Seeing our high performance reflected across two different surveys provides strong evidence that our efforts to go above and beyond for customers do pay off,” SVP retail banking Sue Doyle said. “We will continue to move in the right direction and build on our success to become the Bank of You for even more Wisconsinites.” •••

North District brings magic to T-Rats’ Unicorn Night

North District employees pitched in at last Saturday’s Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game, treating baseball fans to sparkly horns to wear on their heads for Unicorn Night, presented by North Shore Bank. “The kids absolutely them!” Northland branch manager Lacee Kalepp said. “And many of the adults did too.” •••

Bankers help out with mortgage, deliver cream puffs

Senior mortgage lender Steve Luebke received some nice feedback from a customer, who declared Steve had done an “OUTSTANDING JOB.” “This is a repeat customer, and there were challenges with the transaction because their address was changed when they were annexed into a different town,” Steve explained. “The entire mortgage staff worked together to get the file approved and closed. The key was communication from application to close. Another happy North Shore Bank mortgage customer!”

And our Business Banking team made a client’s day with a special delivery of cream puffs from the Wisconsin State Fair, when the client’s employees were stuck in the office and unable to go themselves. “Everyone with powdered sugar on the front of their shirts or whipped cream on the end of their noses extend their thanks as well!” the client point person wrote to SVP commercial banking manager Margaret Capper. •••

Instead of worrying about the future, find your calm

It’s easy to let the news bring us down. But the future, by definition, is uncertain. Rather than worry, concentrate on your here and now. Take shelter in the calm you create.

Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:

I REALIZE I will have to live in an uncertain future. I take refuge in the calm center of my being.

This meditation was adapted from A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life With Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright. How did it go for you? Share your thoughts and feelings in Shorelines and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!

If you’d like a daily email reminder to do one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” —Pat Ingelse, AVP and PMP •••

7-Day Banking at more locations
7-Day Banking is now available in nearly every county in North Shore Bank’s footprint, including now at our Franklin, Greendale, and Westgate offices. We now have a total of 41 video teller machines at 21 branches and four other off-site locations, offering almost all the capabilities of a live banker in a safe, contactless environment. Most video teller machines feature drive-up access, and some are walk-up. In September, the ATM in the Corporate vestibule is scheduled to become a video teller machine, so that both Brookfield customers and bank employees can enjoy access to 7-day, 70-hour-a-week banking services. •••

Last day to enter Kingfish contest!
Let your customers know: Today is the last day to enter North Shore Bank’s Legendary Giveaway for a chance to win four tickets to the Kenosha Kingfish’s Legends Weekend on August 27 and 28. The weekend includes a celebrity softball game and a home run derby at Historic Simmons Field. Big names like Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor, and Jose Canseco will be participating! Baseball fans can enter here. •••

New Hires for August 19
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

Sussex universal banker Alex Ackeret is from Stevens Point and previously worked at Menards. “I love watching scary movies, because I love to be surprised,” he says. “I also enjoy action ‘hero’-like movies and Disney movies. I love to try all kinds of foods and I worked in food service for five years as well, so nothing really surprises me when trying new foods. I mostly love hanging out with friends, meeting new people, and learning and sharing stories.”

Cudahy personal banker Domenic Chirico is from Milwaukee and previously worked at U.S. Bank. “I love to travel and cook, and I speak Italian fluently,” he says. “My favorite dish is probably a nice big pot of ragu — aka ‘Sunday sauce’ — simmered for hours with Italian sausages, some spare ribs, and the family recipe for meatballs. The fragrance of starting the sauce, with onions simmering in olive oil and bay leaf, is the best way to start an early Sunday morning — and also makes all the neighbors hungry!”

Oak Creek teller Syla Cruz is from Milwaukee and previously worked at Aurora Psychiatric Hospital. “My husband and I just got married in February, and we’re now expecting our first child together,” she says. “She’s due Christmas this year.” Congratulations, Syla!

And Kenosha Central teller supervisor Anna Nelson is from Kenosha previously worked as a customer operations manager at Old Navy. “I love movies — especially old-school horror movies — and collecting items from them. My favorite is the original Halloween,” she says. “I just love the cast and the element of fear and mystery, and Halloween is also my favorite holiday!” She also enjoys spending time out in nature with her two dogs. •••