Succeeding Ohlert as Chief Credit Officer is John Krostag

Mark Ohlert, SVP and Chief Credit Officer, retires tomorrow and one of the things he’ll miss about working in banking might surprise you.

Mark Ohlert retires as SVP and Chief Credit Officer on March 8.

“I’ve always been one that kind of liked, I’ll begrudgingly admit it, I like chaos,” he said with a laugh. “Not all the time, but a little bit. Keeps the blood moving.”

Mark came to North Shore Bank as a commercial credit manager in 2008 just as the country headed into the Great Recession, the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. And while that certainly presented challenges, Mark said he found there were things he liked about being on a team that was tackling them. 

“I got to be involved at the ground level with a lot of the strategizing. It was stressful, but rewarding. I learned a lot,” he said.

In 2017, he moved into his current role, adding consumer and mortgage underwriting and collection to his responsibilities. “I learned a great deal from the folks in those departments. Going in, I had very little experience in their worlds. I know there were times when I asked the same question multiple times and they were always patient and took the time to make sure I understood. I really appreciated that,” he said.

Acquisitions also brought new staff into the business, merging with the incredibly talented and bright people Mark said he’s been lucky enough to work beside for the last 15 years. 

“We’re a team,” Mark said. “They’re a fantastic group. They understand their market, their customers, and their duties. They make my life extremely easy. They’re very, very good at what they do.”

Among those great team members is John Krostag, VP and Commercial Credit Manager, who will succeed Mark in the CCO role. Mark hired John nearly six years ago, and the two have worked closely together ever since.

John Krostag will take over as CCO.

“John’s great, very experienced,” Mark said. “It helps to be very process-driven, and he is.”

John said he’s enthusiastic to take on the new role and grateful to Mark for the years they’ve worked together and the support Mark has given him, especially in the past few months as they’ve prepared for the transition. 

“It almost felt odd the days that we did not meet,” John said. “Our relationship was that close working together. Mark has been an inspiring leader and colleague.” He also always appreciated Mark’s way with words. “Most importantly, I will miss his stories. He’s a good storyteller,” John said. 

President and CEO Jay McKenna praised Mark’s key role in growing and nurturing North Shore Bank’s credit culture and varied loan portfolios. He called out his excellent collaboration and leadership skills and congratulated him on his retirement. 

“He will be able to look back at his tenure at North Shore with immense pride,” Jay said.

He also looks forward to working with John in his new role, noting that he’s confident John “will continue to help guide North Shore Bank on our successful path.”

Mark Ohlert and his wife, Julie, on a trip to Norway last year. In retirement, Mark and Julie plan to visit more of our national parks.

In retirement, Mark plans to travel with his wife, Julie, seeing more of our beautiful national parks and visiting the couple’s two children. He’s got a list of things to be done around the house, and he plans to volunteer at his church, St. Luke’s in Greendale, and potentially look for other places where he can help. 

When asked for a few words of wisdom to pass along to his colleagues, Mark shared his advice for interacting with others. 

“Most of my career has involved me functioning as a problem-solver in some capacity, and I think that first requires being an active listener,” he said. “I try to apply that when people have questions for me. I try to be patient and understanding and listen more than I speak. I think that’s how you learn, and you better yourself and you better those around you.”

Congratulations to Mark and John!