2024 Rising Stars in Banking: Kevin Tiernan

Treasury Management Senior Manager Kevin Tiernan knew Bankers Trust needed to immediately provide additional deposit protection to customers following the series of regional bank failures in the spring of 2023. .In the days that followed, Tiernan's team at the Des Moines-based bank called all of their clients to ensure they were OK. They discussed bank balance sheets, risks and ensured customers knew that Bankers Trust did not resemble Silicon Valley Bank..A senior vice president, Tiernan knew his clients would be impacted based on his experience as a young Wells Fargo banker during the Great Recession. "You just had to be extremely mindful of how our clients were feeling at the time, and it brought me right back to the 2006 and 2007 era," he said. "People are feeling angst about the economy right now and they want to make sure that their money is protected and they want to make sure that the same thing that happened to Silicon Valley Bank clients doesn't happen here." .His approach was successful, and Tiernan's team brought on 169 new customers in 2023. Bankers Trust did not lose any customers in the process. That awareness of customer needs and how to lead staff have earned him recognition as one of BankBeat magazine's 2024 "Rising Stars in Banking." .Tiernan's banking career began shortly after he graduated from Iowa State University in 2006 as a teller and relationship banker. The economy was humming at the time amid a strong job market, but that changed one year later when the Great Recession struck. ."It was brutal," Tiernan said. "There was so much uncertainty inside the market. I was a young guy right out of college and I was around people who were a couple of years away from retirement. And watching people's retirement accounts go from what it was to half of it, it was really scary.."It gave you a deeper empathy," Tiernan added. "You were seeing coworkers getting laid off or everything they had saved for retirement get wiped out — it really created this deep-rooted empathy for both the client's side and the people who you work with.".Though troubled by the economic downturn, Tiernan found inspiration through his mentors, who answered his questions while providing candid feedback on his performance. He benefited from classes and interacting with clients on a daily basis..Tiernan worked for Wells Fargo until 2011. His mother, who had worked for Bankers Trust three decades before, said it had created opportunities for her. Tiernan was also attracted to its status as a family-owned bank and the chance to make more of a direct impact. .Tiernan has done just that in his 13 years at Bankers Trust. He served on the Balance Autism board of directors from 2018-24, where he worked with state and local officials to spotlight how their services assist adults with job placement and housing. He also served on the board of the Iowa chapter of children's charity Variety from 2012-18, where he helped secure more than $15,000 in donations and raised capital for the organization's inclusive playgrounds program..Tiernan has also played a leading role in the bank's growth to a $6.6 billion bank from a nearly $1.5 billion bank when he joined in 2011. A vice president and sales and development manager from 2013-17, Tiernan helped finalize sales training procedures. He prioritized staff asking open-ended questions and responding based on what the client says, not strictly on the sales team's goals for the conversation.."Kevin has a growth mindset and applies it to every aspect of his work. He is always striving to learn new things," said Bankers Trust President and CEO Donald Coffin. "Kevin also has a natural ability to build trusted relationships with his team and other colleagues, which has helped him successfully deliver on both the Treasury department's goals and bankwide initiatives.".Tiernan was also open to staff attending training to grow more comfortable in their roles. Today, Bankers Trust's retail net promoter score is high, which Tiernan attributes to training, and ensuring that client feedback is welcomed..Tiernan, who oversees nearly two-dozen staff, attributes his leadership approach to his father, a former business owner. "The best advice he ever gave me was to hire good people, take a step back, don't get in their way and lead from afar," Tiernan noted. .Above all, Tiernan credits his team. "I have probably one of the best teams I have ever worked for. They are smart, they are determined, they like winning, they want to be part of something that is bigger than themselves." .Tiernan's approach is paying off. His team has implemented an integrated payables product that groups all payable tools into a single file, allowing clients to send ACH, check, wire and card payments through a single file from their payables system to the bank. Tiernan's team has onboarded 15 clients since the introduction of the program, which has brought in a half-million dollars in new revenue. The product also allows Bankers Trust to promote themselves as a non-legacy community bank while creating operational efficiencies. .Coffin credited Tiernan, now 41, for fostering a nearly 100 percent client retention rate at Bankers Trust along with 10 percent or more annual growth. ."Kevin encourages his team to be innovative and decisive in their everyday work, which leads to faster problem resolution and happier clients," Coffin said. "Kevin views his role as developing the bank's next group of leaders, and he strives to help them become independent thinkers that push the envelope to improve the client experience."Other 2024 Rising Stars in Banking honorees include:Brock Goggins, German American Bank, Jasper, Ind.Ben Udell, Lake Ridge Bank, Madison, Wis.Brian Nelson, BankVista, Mankato, Minn.Connor Peterson, First Bank & Trust, Minden, Neb.Matt Vaillant, North Shore Bank of Commerce, Duluth, Minn.