Mary, center, with her family at home. From left: Reed, Rob, Brandon, and Caroline.

When marketing manager Mary Ott joined North Shore Bank 20 years ago, she had recently gotten engaged and was finishing her last semester at Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Lutheran College. Hired as a personal banker for what she thought would be a temporary gig, she ultimately ended up moving into the Marketing department — and the rest is history.

“Mary is so incredibly talented — she’s able to think high-level strategy AND she can take the strategy and follow it all the way through to execution,” says VP marketing Kate Johnson. “You know – most people are good at either big-picture or executing. She’s able to do both. Take those talents and combine them with 20 years of tribal knowledge about the bank — WOW!”

Kate also notes that Mary has been working on Commercial Banking’s marketing efforts for years with great success and began leading the marketing effort for Lending in January. A recent email from VP consumer lending manager Chris Boland said: “I just wanted to let you know how great it has been working with Mary on projects. She did a fantastic job of taking a concept that I had in my head and turning it into a reality. Everyone that reviewed it loves it, and we just need a few minor tweaks.”

Mary talked with Shorelines about her career so far.

Would year 2000 Mary be surprised to learn you were still here?
When I began my career here at our Cub Foods Green Bay East location, the job was supposed to be temporary — for insurance and benefits — until I found something else. It turned out to be the best temporary job ever! The Mary in 2000 would be very surprised to find me working here – I never would have guessed I would have had the opportunity to join the Marketing department in Brookfield, and then later be able to work from Green Bay to accommodate my growing family.

How did you end up making that transition?
It was due to great timing. My husband got a job offer in Waukesha, so we wanted to live in the Milwaukee area instead of Green Bay. That same week, a new marketing assistant position posted at Corporate. My degree was in marketing, so I applied. My time in the branch gave me a deeper knowledge of our products, an appreciation of the exceptional service provided to our customers every day, and an operational background necessary when working on product promotions.

What’s an important lesson from the last 20 years?
To listen. When working with your team and with other departments, you need to truly listen to understand the full situations to find the best solution.

And what do you have planned for the next 20?
My oldest is making plans to attend college, so college visits are in the near future. As my home becomes quieter, my husband and I will travel more.