David Andersen
President of Utah and California | UMB Bank
How have you leveraged your position as a C-suite executive to influence business dynamics in Utah?
Utah is a community with a unique invitation: to come and build together. Those answering the invitation have come from all over the world for generations. The opportunity to build together in Utah was one that UMB Bank answered, and we have been the beneficiary of that invitation since hiring our first associate in 2009. The Utah community has allowed UMB Bank to invest over $3 billion in loans, employ over 250 associates who are active participants in the business community and establish four business lines over the last four years that are exclusively focused on Utah businesses and individuals.
What do you consider to be one of your most significant achievements and why?
Anytime we build something from the ground up or greenfield an opportunity, there are at least two things that happen. First, it requires a significant amount of personal equity and passion, likely more than any previous endeavor. It requires more from the leaders and associates, and it requires them to be the best versions of themselves. Anyone who has experienced the beautiful intensity of a new opportunity for a sustained period will appreciate the passion required. Second, the people involved are permanently changed thanks to the stretching and grit it takes to stand something up from scratch. Over the last four years, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to lead our Utah UMB Bank associates in establishing four business lines while deploying more than $3 billion in the Utah economy.
What leadership philosophy guides your strategic vision and decision-making?
Leaders are best defined by those around them rather than self-prescribed. Some leaders jump to the occasion, solve a problem or make bold statements; all three are attributes of leadership, but not when they’re isolated. A leader is a true leader when others choose to follow them. The best leaders understand that someone’s choice is more powerful than any leadership attribute. When others follow someone by choice and the leader knows how to direct that choice, you have a powerful combination that’s unstoppable.
