Banker uses experience to guide First Merchants Bank Indiana, Michigan markets For the past six years, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based First Merchants Bank has operated in the Detroit area as part of its expansion in southeast Michigan. .Indiana Regional Sales Manager Jess Hopkins is central in connecting the Indiana and Michigan markets. Hopkins, 37, drives to the bank’s Michigan markets twice a week from Fort Wayne to meet with regional managers and better understand their needs. She observes branch managers interacting with their teams, provides feedback and communicates with frontline staff to decipher what is working and what might need improvement. Hopkins, one of BankBeat magazine’s 2025 “Outstanding Women in Banking,” leads a team of 200-225 employees across two states and 45 branches. “She has a passion for helping her people grow, and her commitment to them drives high results,” said her husband and nominator, Shane Hopkins. Jess, who guides and supports new hires for the first 90 days, takes after-hours phone calls from her reports if they need to talk through a situation, sometimes even if they have moved to a different department. “She genuinely cares for them,” Shane said. Hopkins does not take a cookie-cutter approach to developing her teams and instead focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the person she coaches. “It is being able to spend time with them one-on-one to understand what they are trying to accomplish, being able to take the time to know them as a person, to know how I can best coach them and what I can provide to them,” she added. Hopkins connects her approach to the leadership she witnessed during her first job in the industry as a teller at an Indiana community bank in 2007 as an 18-year-old high school graduate. “I've taken things I learned from my mentors and then things I felt … would have helped me when I was in that space,” Hopkins said. “When people see the dedication and the commitment I have to them, that continues to drive them to want to do the same for their clients and the people they are working with every day,” Jess said. Hopkins uses her experience in a frontline position to empathize with those she oversees. She prioritizes openness and transparency when staff come to her with ideas. “Having that level of transparency with them, but also being willing to be a voice for them creates that culture of them feeling transparent and being willing to share what they are feeling or what their pain points are,” Hopkins said. Hopkins has been a regional sales manager, first vice president since 2023, covering the Fort Wayne market along with three markets in Michigan — Ann Arbor, Brighton and Dexter. “Even with our growth, or as large as my territory is, I still have the ability to impact those communities; it is set up so I can support those bankers in each of those communities, making an impact,” she added. Hopkins has growth aspirations at the $18.3 billion bank, but she knows her trajectory depends on where senior leaders see her and where she can make the biggest impact. Her No. 1 joy in her current role is seeing her employees develop and the impact on bank customers. “The more skilled our bankers are, and understand the needs of our clients, that is going to set us apart because any bank is going to have a checking account or different loan products,” Hopkins said. “What differentiates us is our people, so making sure my people are the ones who those clients want to work with, who they know are going to do it right for them, and are going to help them is impactful.” Hopkins volunteers in the Fort Wayne community through her involvement for YWCA of Northeast Indiana and TeenWorks. She volunteers with the AARP tax aid program during the first few months of every year. Hopkins and her three children volunteer their time at the Harvest Food Bank every month.Hopkins has several Gold Shield awards from First Merchants. The awards program recognizes top performances in “Sales, Service, Cornerstone and Community Excellence.” A 2022 Indiana Bankers Association “Woman on the Rise,” Hopkins and her direct reports volunteer each month for a local organization. The initiative began with Habitat for Humanity but quickly expanded. Banking center managers in Hopkins’ region have since started doing the same with their own teams. “It’s important to take time and make an impact outside of your career,” Hopkins said. “It’s rewarding and fulfilling to spend time and work making a difference, but also showing my kids the importance of stepping outside of work and committing to the things we talk about in church and the things we tell them: It’s the right thing to do to help each other, to look for opportunities to give back and make a mark.“Looking for a way to leave it better than what you found it,” Hopkins added. “That's a crucial piece of thinking bigger — a higher level — and putting yourself out there to take what God has given you and use it for good in your community and surrounding areas.”
