Oakworth Capital Bank will be a huge success in the Central Carolinas – people crave the personal attention and professionalism that Oakworth Capital’s team provides. This bank consists of very good people who are empowered to do the right things. There will be a lot of word-of-mouth endorsement from one client to another. Business is all about people, and Oakworth Capital completely understands and embraces that. Unfortunately, not everybody is getting that in the banking world these days, and that is one of the many things that sets Oakworth Capital apart from the rest.
I’ve had the privilege of being involved with Oakworth Capital for several years now. I was fortunate to have received a call from Forest Whatley back in 2018, when he was looking to hire an executive search firm to help fill a position in Birmingham. As Forest was sharing Oakworth Capital’s story, it really resonated with me, and we connected immediately. We began working together on multiple new hires as the bank continued to grow.
Everyone is so personable, energetic, focused and genuine. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the leadership team during that first search and that enjoyment has continued with each search since. I helped bring in Middle Tennessee’s Market Leader (Greer Redden), Central Carolina’s Market Leader (Tim Beck) and the Managing Director & Head of Wealth Advisory Services (Jason Pokrzywinski). I am excited to watch how they make a positive difference.
Oakworth Capital’s continued growth is unique and organic and can be attributed to the people and culture who make up the very heart of the bank. They want their clients to be treated well, and they start by treating their associates well.
Oakworth Capital has done an exceptional job of hiring great people and providing a culture in which the associates are motivated to go above and beyond. In today’s banking industry, technology and scale are great for some, but there is a part of the population that doesn’t want to be serviced by a computer or AI or someone they have never met. They need to develop confidence and rapport with their bankers and advisors for that trust to be established. Oakworth Capital does exactly that. It is difficult to preserve that type of culture as you grow and move across state lines, but Oakworth Capital is bringing its proven success as it now enters into the Carolinas.
About Steve Smith
Steve worked in the banking industry for 12 years, with his final role being a Senior Vice President of Bank of America (formerly NationsBank), responsible for the Private Client Group and National Affinity Groups through the Charlotte Headquarters office. He left banking to begin a career in the executive search field and is currently President/Owner of The McAulay Smith Firm in Charlotte, which has clients in 32 states and 10 countries. Steve has successfully led hundreds of executive search engagements for Fortune 500 and middle-market companies in a wide variety of geographies and industries. Steve earned his BA degree from Furman University and his MBA from Queens University in Charlotte. Throughout his career, he has volunteered his time to serve on numerous boards as well as community and business organizations.