By Debra Solomon Baker
 FRANK TROTTER
president & CEO
Everbank
Push a relaxing CD into the player. Recline on the sofa, flip on the laptop, and open a checking account, transfer funds, even pay bills.
Gone are the long lines. The tellers. The hurry-and-get-there-before-it-closes mentality. Scratch “visit the bank” off the list of humdrum Saturday morning errands. Our grandparents, most likely, would have chuckled at such possibilities.
From his office on Eager Rd. (at Highway 40 and Hanley), Everbank President and CEO Frank Trotter oversees his company’s National Banking Group, the largest privately held branchless banking offering in the U.S. A forbes.com “Best of the Web” recipient for four consecutive years, the EverBank National Banking Group has become a
recognized leader in consumer direct banking with more than
$1 billion in deposits from across America. Since its birth five years ago, the company has experienced a 50-percent annual compounded rate of growth, and, in the past three years, Trotter has doubled his St. Louis-based staff, up to 20.
EverBank was, in short, the
product of four bankers with a vision. It has emerged as a major dot-com success story.
“We offer a much higher level of service [than a traditional bank],” says Trotter, who has served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Mercantile Bank Capital Markets, and Director of the International Markets Division
at Mark Twain Bank. “It’s just extremely easy to deal with a branchless bank.”
EverBank’s flagship product, a free online interest checking account, promises one of the
highest yields in the nation, an option for free unlimited on-line
bill-paying, and around-the-clock access to account information.
Despite these and so many other benefits, Trotter, a widely-recognized expert in the areas of financial
technology and digital commerce, knows that when it comes to
banking, individuals can become complacent.
“It sometimes takes people a while to understand how much of a value it can be to move from a
traditional bank… but then a light bulb goes on.”
EverBank Financial Corp is a
private holding company headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., with approximately $2.7 billion in assets, 1,250 employees, and 400,000
customers nationwide.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE INSIGHTS
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the
highest, how stressful would you rate your current position? What steps do you take to manage the stress?
“On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate the stress of my job somewhere between 5 and 6. Quite honestly, I don’t feel that my job is particularly stressful for two reasons. First, I really enjoy my work. Second, I feel that many of the people I work with have more stressful jobs than I do.
Consequently, I think the first step to take when dealing with stress is to be in a place where one finds the work and people enjoyable. Second, spend time with family, friends and co-workers doing fun things.”
Edward L. Bryant
Senior Advisor, Public Affairs,
Pfizer Global Research and Development
“8.5 stress level–Growing a company in multiple areas: revenue, employees, and location and globally!
I give it all to God! Then, I wrap myself into my family for educational, physical and entertainment activities. Some days when I think I have been totally stressed out about work, I look at my family and realize, I have been truly blessed.”
Chuck Nash
President,
KnowledgeLake Inc.
“My stress level usually ranges between 5 and 7. It’s not higher because we have a great team of people at HOK and share the load in almost everything we do, including leadership of the firm. My best stress reliever is exercise–usually swimming, weightlifting,
or cycling.”
Clark Davis
Vice Chairman,
HOK
For more information on the Leadership Circle, please contact John Diefenbach, associate vice president-membership, (314) 444-1184 or jdief@stlrcga.org. |
