Steady progress has been key to success, Wallach says

As part of our centennial coverage, the Senior Leader Showcase series highlights executives who’ve been instrumental in helping North Shore Bank celebrate 100 years of success.

Drew Wallach would have been surprised if someone had told him when he started here in 1984 that he’d still be at North Shore Bank almost 40 years later. “My wife, Marianne, and I are not from Wisconsin, but came here in 1980 to work for another bank,” says the chief financial officer, who was senior vice president in charge of investments before he was promoted to his current role in 2010. “We had just bought a house and were expecting our first child when I was able to get my job managing the investment portfolio at North Shore. Our family roots became established, and the opportunity here grew.”

For the most part, surprises haven’t played too much of a role in his career since then — he notes that he’s still working at the same desk in the same room. Consistency, of course, is a desirable quality in a CFO, especially at a company that has always valued steadiness. Read what else Drew had to say about his time at North Shore Bank!

Germantown customer thrilled by $100 giveaway win

A Germantown customer brought a friend in earlier this month to open a new account — and found himself the latest winner of our $100 giveaway.

As part of North Shore Bank’s centennial celebration, we are randomly surprising customers at our branches with $100 cash prizes throughout 2023.

“Brandon visited the branch with his friend Brittany to take advantage of our ‘tell a friend’ promotion. They were both very excited to see the team clapping and waving a North Shore Bank centennial sign as they entered,” branch manager Erica Hughes said. “He said, ‘What did I win? I love this bank!’”

Brandon told Erica he’d be sharing the good news on his social media accounts. He also called his mother from the branch and told her her wanted her to come in and set up a checking account with North Shore Bank as well.

“He is a coin collector and often visits the branch to use the coin-counting machine and to take out rolls of coins,” Erica said. He plans to invest his $100 prize in silver. •••

New kindness challenge prize: Meet a Milwaukee Buck!

There’s still time to be part of the 100 Acts of Kindness challenge, and the chance to win even more great prizes now — including a meet-and-greet with Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks! But hurry, the entry deadline is next week!

Click here for more info on that — and some examples of how North Shore Bank employees have been making their colleagues, neighbors, and communities a little happier lately.

Four employees become Certified IRA Specialists
Four North Shore Bank employees recently completed the coursework and passed a rigorous exam to become Certified IRA Specialists. Allouez assistant branch manager Aubrey Abrahamson, Burlington personal banker Jolene Cedeno, Shorewood personal banker Laura De Bruin, and Forest Home assistant branch manager Zoran Saric are well equipped to work with new and existing IRA customers, providing them with more in-depth information about their IRA options. Read more about this terrific accomplishment!

By lending a hand, Cumming helps client
Menasha assistant branch manager Deb Cumming recently showed how much our success depends on our willingness and ability to help each other out, when she lent commercial workout manager VP Jim Krcmarik a hand with a customer, bringing a workout loan to a successful resolution.

In a workout, the lender and borrower renegotiate the terms of a loan, typically because the borrower can no longer repay the loan under the initial terms. A workout allows the lender to recoup funds without resorting to foreclosure or legal action.

“When I realized that the borrower was not good at returning my phone calls and did not have email, I reached out to Deb to act as an intermediary with him,” Jim said. “She told me she had a long-standing relationship with the borrower, who frequently comes into the branch.”

“I have been his banker through good times and terrible times,” said Deb, who has known the customer for 20 years and knew he had lost his wife to cancer and that his once-successful business had taken a hit. “Assisting the customer was very hands-on, as he does not use any type of technology — only a flip phone for his business. I was determined to do all that was necessary to achieve a positive outcome. Because I’ve been with him through many challenges, it didn’t feel uncomfortable for him to work with me at all.”

Besides communicating with the borrower, Deb also spent hours doing research to help reconcile his tax records. With her help, Jim was able to get what he needed from the borrower and bring the matter to a close. “Without her involvement, we would likely have ended up in a long and costly legal action,” he said. “We’re all on the same team at North Shore, and by working together, we can serve our clients better and successfully resolve challenges.” •••

Northland helps nonprofit replenish diapers, wipes

This week, Northland dropped off everything the branch collected in a diaper drive for Jake’s Network of Hope. That came to over 700 diapers and as many disposable wipes over a two-week period. “Their stock of 3T-5T pull-ups was completely gone, and the donation we brought in was able to fill that gap for a little while,” assistant branch manager Tisha Kenfield said. •••

Employees break out the green for St. Patrick’s Day

Deposit operations rep Debra “Jonesy” Jones and customer assistance manager VP Colleen Egan showed off their St. Patrick’s Day spirit in front of the holiday tree on the 4th Floor at Corporate, joined by Customer Support Center mascot Sebastian, who spends most of his time lounging by the tree. See more St. Patrick’s Day photos from all over the bank!

Keep gossip out of the workplace
Human beings are natural storytellers. But as the Advocate Aurora Health employee assistance program reminds us, gossip is another story altogether, especially in the workplace. Gossiping about co-workers can lead to:

• Erosion of trust and morale
• Lost productivity and wasted time
• Increased anxiety among team members as rumors circulate without clear information as to what may be true
• Divisiveness among teams as people take sides
• Hurt feelings and reputations
• Loss of good employees because of an unhealthy work environment

So take a moment and THINK through these five questions before speaking:

• Is what I’m about to say True?
• Is what I’m about to say Helpful?
• Is what I’m about to say Important?
• Is what I’m about to say Necessary?
• Is what I’m about to say Kind?

If you’d like additional support for healthy workplace communication, you can call the AAH EAP at 800-236-3231. To access AAH EAP online resources, visit aah.org/eap. •••

Advocate Health co-CEOs to speak at Power Breakfast
What’s going on with you? If you or someone in your family has a special event — a concert, show, sporting or charity event, or another important moment — send the details to shorelines@northshorebank.com. We’ll include information about select events to let your colleagues know about all the cool stuff happening with the North Shore Bank team.

Looking for more to do? Here are suggestions from the bank’s event calendar:

The next installment of our Path to Wealth seminar series takes place next Wednesday, March 29, at our Jackson Park branch. Area manager Alfredo Martin and community lending manager Miguel Pesqueira will cover the topic of financial goals and how to achieve them. More info here.

The next Milwaukee Business Journal Power Breakfast Presented by North Shore Bank will be next Thursday, March 30, at the Pfister Hotel. Advocate Health co-CEOs Eugene Woods and Jim Skogsbergh will appear together for the first time since the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health made them the fifth-largest U.S. health system. More info here. •••