2015 Rising Stars in Banking: Jennifer Kruchten

When Brian Bisbey went looking for a rainmaker with excellent business development skills in the Rockford, Ill., market, the clients he talked to kept mentioning one name: Jennifer Kruchten.."Jennifer was always on the short list mentioned by these clients," said Bisbey, who is executive vice president and chief financial officer of the $831 million First National Bank and Trust, Beloit, Wis. "After meeting her, I knew she was exactly the type of banker I was looking for and just had to figure out how to convince her to join the team.".NorthWestern Financial Review is honoring Kruchten as a Rising Star in Banking for 2015, along with six other bankers..Five years after joining the bank, senior vice president, commercial banking manager Kruchten has more than delivered. She led First National's entire commercial banking team in new business her first year and for four of her first five years with the bank — and is poised to have another exceptional year, Bisbey said..Kruchten possesses a skill set rare in high volume producers, Bisbey said. "She is both a great business development officer and a very good manager. She can and does achieve high production levels in commercial banking, she is a great negotiator, she is wonderful with customers, and she also is a very good manager of people and mentor to younger bankers.".Recently, a client came to Kruchten wanting to buy another company out of bankruptcy. "It was a very large deal, and the guy came to me and said, 'The only way this is going to happen is if we get everything done in a week,'" she said. "Usually a deal of that size would take a month, but I got everybody on board quickly to pitch in and work hard as a team. My client purchased the business at a great price, and now the business is very successful.".Complementing her business acumen, Kruchten also takes an advisory approach with her clients.."I'm very consultative with customers; I meet them where they're at," she said. "I let the customers talk and ask them probing questions – what they really want to do, what issues they're facing – and then I give them a list of creative solutions. I don't just tell them what to do; I ask them what they think will be best for the business."."If you can understand their business, what they need and what they want, that means more to them than interest rates and fees," she said. Kruchten brings that understanding to client meetings across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, where she manages a team of nine bankers. She also sits on the bank's technology and product development committees..Kruchten started her immediate post-college career at First National Bank, Peoria, Ill., and settled into commercial banking fairly quickly. She took a few years off, however, beginning in 1999 to explore the non-profit sector, working for Community Foundation of Northern Illinois in Rockford..Although she missed banking during her years at the Community Foundation, Kruchten's stint there turned out to be an opportunity to broaden her horizons. "I liked sitting on that side of the desk, and I learned a lot from being chief financial officer there. I understand the needs of business owners now better than before," she said..She returned to banking with few regrets. "I missed the corporate world; my brain's wired that way," Kruchten said. "I missed the interaction with the wider business community and working with business owners.".Going forward, finding the right mix for Kruchten's business development and management skills will be key, Bisbey said. "Jennifer has been a good team leader from day one but she gets better every day," he said.."My challenge will be to balance adding management responsibilities and making sure that she has time to continue to do business development and work with customers because that is what she really loves and is best at.".Other 2015 Rising Stars in Banking honorees:Bill LaVigne, The Bank of Elk River, Minn.Lucas White, The Fountain Trust Company, Covington, Ind.Amanda Fanning, Adams Bank & Trust, Ogallala, Neb.Tim Heilman, Choice Financial Group, Fargo, N.D.Mark Heinemann, Farmers State Bank of Hartland, Minn.Matthew Lujano, Westside State Bank in Westside, Iowa