CEO Carter named No. 7 most powerful woman in banking
Mollie Carter, President & CEO of Sunflower Bank, was honored as the No. 7 Most Powerful Woman in Banking, one of U.S. Banker’s annual 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, a distinguished and prestigious honor awarded annually by one of the financial industry’s leading magazines.
Carter, President and CEO of Salina-based Sunflower Bank since 2005, and a member of the bank’s Board of Directors since 1995, is one of 25 honorees from leading financial institutions throughout the country.
US Banker unveiled The 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking (2008) in its October issue. US Banker typically considers more than 4,700 executives for its honor of 25 Most Powerful, and the magazine will recognize the 25 honorees with a celebration later this month in New York City. The annual honor, in its sixth year, pays tribute to influential women in finance – whose professional and personal achievements leave their mark on corporate America and push the boundaries of what’s possible in their businesses.
Candidates are selected and ranked by overall performance – including overall influence on the institution, the industry and the community. US Banker also considers an individual’s leadership skills, financial performance, job complexity, contribution to the institution’s revenue and earnings, product and service innovations, community involvement and reinvestment, corporate governance, ethics, management style, and education.
“I’m extremely humbled to receive this honor,” said Carter, “but I proudly credit the employees of Sunflower Bank and the organization as a whole. It’s a tremendous privilege to work with talented people, and this honor serves as a tribute to the heart and commitment of all employees of Sunflower Bank.”
Carter also is an owner of Sunflower Bank, along with her five brothers and sisters, the six children of H.D. “Joe” Hale and Joyce Vanier Hale. Founded in 1892, Sunflower Bank is based in Salina, Kansas, and now comprises more than $1.6 billion in assets throughout 35 locations in Kansas and Colorado. Through Carter’s four-year tenure as CEO, the bank grew from $1.0 billion in assets to its current $1.6 billion. Sunflower Bank remains well capitalized and largely unaffected by recent loan problems that have hurt many in the industry.
“Our story is one of community banking,” said Carter, in an interview with the Salina Journal. “We’ve made a successful business of putting community first.” Working with Sunflower Bank colleagues to ensure the success of the organization – running a financial fad-resistant, sustainable business “is what the next 100 years will be about,” said Carter.
Carter’s leadership of Sunflower Bank is captured in its corporate mission statement: “Bringing out the best in the lives we touch … Creating Possibility,” a non-traditional financial institution vision. Sunflower Bank employees are challenged with the responsibility to impact the lives of each other, customers and communities in a positive way. Sunflower Bank cultivates an environment of volunteerism, which results in employees routinely accounting for more than 20,000 volunteer hours in their respective communities, annually bringing manpower and leadership to their activities.
Currently Sunflower Bank brings an array of educational, financial and visioning assistance which directly impact local communities. “We look for innovations where the people who keep our communities strong can become stronger themselves,” said Carter.
