Month: March 2024

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Jody Clark didn’t intend to have a lifelong career in banking. But the job she took as a teller in college quickly turned into a series of promotions that culminated in a district manager role in the Cincinnati area. Clark loved the position and thought she found her dream job.

With the birth of her first child, however, Clark wanted to be home full-time to focus on raising her family. She dabbled in a few other areas before returning to banking when the youngest of her four children started elementary school.

And that’s when her career truly took off.

Today, Clark is senior vice president in the U.S. Bank Investment Advisor Services (IAS) Division within Global Fund Services, overseeing business development, relationship management, onboarding of new advisors, and sales support. Her team works with over 340 registered investment advisors across the country to provide custody services, such as settlement, safekeeping and reporting of marketable securities and cash, for their clients.

“Anything revenue, I’m responsible for,” she said.

Clark has worked in IAS since 2012, when the group was created, and she has helped make sure it’s been on a fast track for growth ever since.

“Jody has been the lead new revenue generator every year she’s been in a sales role and now she’s doing a terrific job managing the other members of our front office team.” says Jay Martin, president of Global Fund Services. “She has a great sales skill set and the perfect mindset to lead growth initiatives in a business that often feels like a startup even though it’s part of massive financial enterprise.”

Clark agreed: “With IAS being a new division when I started and now a decade plus with tremendous growth, we’ve been able to mold and create things as we go. Having an entrepreneurial mindset is so important and our management team has embraced that.”

Clark credited the success of IAS, and her own career, to the team she works with and the strength of her relationships within U.S. Bank and with her advisors.

“When I talk to our current and prospective advisors, I strive to be transparent and honest,” she said. “I work for a fantastic, strong and ethical company, and I always lead with that. It’s important to listen and learn from your clients before sharing what we can offer. Building a relationship of trust is the most important piece, and I’m blessed to be supported by a wonderful team that also shares that philosophy.”

Clark said she is often asked by colleagues starting their own careers, particularly women, for advice. She quotes the advice her mother gave her that has been her own lodestar: be consistent.

“I took that to heart. I strive to be consistent in everything I do; every day, from my appearance to how I treat people,” she said. “I want everyone around me to know at all times what they are going to get with me every day, whether that be in a professional or casual setting. Because how you do anything is how you do everything.”

Clark also credited her success to her competitive nature and the fact she’s “a huge planner.” Most days, you’ll catch her walking five miles a day. That’s her time to reflect on her workday and plan and organize the days ahead.

“I’ve always loved to walk, but my consistent habit of walking started when I joined IAS. It was such a new and challenging role that my brain just needed quiet time to process everything,” she said. In addition to helping her think about work, her love of walking also turned into a competitive goal of completing marathons multiple times a year with her sister.

When Clark is with her family, she always aims to be completely present and in the moment.

“My family is my biggest joy and achievement, and time moves too quickly” she said.

Clark isn’t sure if her children are impressed with her success in banking but is hopeful now that her children are adults and have launched on their own careers, they’ve been able to absorb lessons from her own journey.

“I work really hard at every single thing that I do, and love to play hard. I hope they have learned that from me,” she said. “They’re all doing really well and I’m so proud of them.”

View the video above or watch “60 Seconds With Claim Assistant, Ben Meiners” here.

At Principal®, we invest in what matters. And building talented teams is where it all begins. Take a minute and get to know Ben Meiners, claim assistant. Growth opportunities and amazing work-life balance are top reasons he loves working at Principal. Find out what else motivates him to bring his full self to work each day. Explore opportunities to join our team: https://careers.principal.com/us/jobs.

About Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with nearly 20,000 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping approximately 62 million customers1 plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a “Best Places to Work in Money Management2 .” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com. 

1As of December 31, 2023.

2Pensions & Investments, 2022 .

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 29, 2024 /3BL/— Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc., (RurAL CAP) received a $150,000 grant from KeyBank to support its new Teacher Apprenticeship program, an effort to train and support new educators in attaining required certifications.

The goal of the program is to respond to the workforce challenges facing education providers in Alaska and improve the retention of staff who might otherwise reach the end of Head Start’s 3-year waiver period without certification. In alignment with University of Alaska Anchorage courses, Federal Head Start standards and developmentally appropriate practices

“Early childhood education is the bedrock upon which our communities are built, and we realize how challenging it is to attract and train qualified educators who will help nurture and educate our next generation,” said Alaska KeyBank President Lori McCaffrey. “We are delighted to support RurAL CAP’s efforts to improve support and training for these much-needed professionals. Our mission is to help our communities thrive, and this program addresses a wide range of positive outcomes by helping committed teachers gain secure employment, with enhanced support throughout the challenging first years as early childhood educators, as they work to set our youngest neighbors on the path to success.”

“This grant will help foster a better work experience for new educators and create a pipeline to ensure ample early childhood education staffing on a consistent and reliable basis throughout Alaska,” said RurAL CAP CEO Tiel Smith. “We are so grateful for this funding partnership with KeyBank that allows Early Childhood Education to be prioritized for our state. We are looking forward to our Teacher Apprenticeship program supporting Alaskans as educators of future generations.”

About Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc.

Founded in 1965, Rural Alaska Community Action Program is a private, statewide, nonprofit organization with a mission to empower low-income Alaskans through advocacy, education, affordable housing and direct services that respect our unique values and cultures. RurAL CAP is one of the largest and most diversified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Alaska and the only Community Action Agency serving Alaska.

About KeyBank

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Miguel Sossa, vice president and sustainability GTM lead for Capgemini Americas, joins co-host Andie Wood to discuss the role supply chains play within ESG. They explore the pragmatic approaches necessary to advance towards a more sustainable world, tackling the urgent need for sustainable supply chains, and the challenge that Scope 3 emissions pose in measuring a company’s carbon footprint.

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At Yum! Brands, we’re not just serving up delicious meals; we’re crafting a culture of inclusion and belonging. Join us in celebrating our journey. See how some of our associates Inspire Inclusion in this video and learn more about our equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives here. 

This Women’s History Month, I am energized by some of our incredible people at Yum! Brands sharing what inspires them and how we can continue to Inspire Inclusion. At Yum! Brands, we are proud to make room for all people and voices at our tables, in our support centers, our restaurants and our communities. 

– Tracy Skeans, Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer at Yum! Brands via LinkedIn