Leading with Integrity and Vision: Jeff Kesler on Creating a Better State of Banking

It is an honor to be joined by Jeff Kesler , President DFW of Veritex Community Bank .

Jeff was the second hire and helped grow the community bank from just a dream to $12 billion in assets with a $1 billion valuation – becoming the 10th largest bank headquartered in Texas. Jeff is also an active philanthropist who launched the Jeff and Tara Kesler Banking Scholarship and advocates for healthcare and children's welfare as a board member for the Ryan Palmer Foundation.

Kimberly: Having been in the banking industry for 24 years, you've helped build Veritex into one of the largest in Texas. Can you tell us more about its origins and your journey?

Jeff: We had been in the banking industry for about ten years when our prior organization was acquired, on the heels of the Great Recession. Our Founder and CEO had the dream to build Veritex, and he happened to call me, and I became one of the first employees here. It was a dream and a vision that came out of the Great Recession to where banks were so internally focused on their own issues. We believe banking is about serving people how they want to be served and providing solutions, so we thought it was the perfect time. Many people thought it was a little contrarian, like a salmon swimming upstream, to start a bank when banks in the country were not doing well. The concept of serving others and other entrepreneurs is really what we are. We just happen to be in the banking industry, and that was the impetus, the origin story for us.

Kimberly: How is a “community” bank different from a regular bank, and what does it mean to be the leader of that institution? Can you also tell us a little more about what the bank contributes to the local Texas community?

Jeff: That’s a great question itself: What is a community bank? We know that banks provide services; we take deposits and, in turn, make loans and investments in the community. That's what banking does in its simplest form. We're entrusted with people's capital every day again to reinvest back in the community. But for us, it's about the mindset of why we exist, which goes back to community investment and serving others, to serve nonprofits and local businesses, like we were as entrepreneurs. We serve companies just like that every day, where it's an idea that turns into a dream someday of where you end up being the 10th largest bank in the state of Texas.?

I think that's why we've connected so well with our clients. We, too, were four people in an office nine years ago. When you start with a dream, an idea, and a vision, you start hiring people. We've faced similar challenges and are able to connect this there, but it's really about serving others. We believe that we're called to live in community and serve our community, so we built a bank around that concept.?

The word community itself means different things and comes in different sizes. But it provides a sense of identity, belonging, and serving a common purpose – and people innately need that. We have founded this company based on values of truth, integrity, and trust, which drive that culture and permeate the organization. Ultimately through these pillars, we create value to where we get to reinvest back in our people and the community. It's a beautiful, beautiful picture.

Kimberly: Having held many leadership positions and managed hundreds of people, can you share some of the key leadership principles or values that have guided you on your journey?

Jeff: First, a leader must be able to convey a clear and concise vision. It starts with a vision so that people can understand what they do every day in their mission and how it connects. When they know the value they bring by performing their job every day, it brings greater joy and satisfaction in what they do. That translates into unparalleled client service, and it gets back to driving value, which leads to investment. Second, not only our words but also our actions and behaviors must align. Hire the best people who are very astute and they will make sure to keep you accountable.

Kimberly: What advice would you give to other CEOs or top executives in your industry looking to get started with their public or online presence?

Jeff: LinkedIn is the platform that I use. It's about the work you put in. First, determine what your purpose is. What is the “why” of what you want to share – is it a personal brand, about the company, influence, or the impact on other people's lives??

For me, this goes back to four years ago when I got called into a room with our CEO and Founder, who I've worked with for 20+ years, about my role changing because I wasn't getting some things done. It was a genesis moment. I took some time to journal and reflect. Later, I took what I wrote and decided to share those things with the hope of benefiting others and positively impacting their lives. A lot of things we read and see on the news are not positive, so I wanted to encourage others.?

If you know the “why,” it will be authentic, and it will connect. This leads to the second point: who is your audience, and who are you trying to connect with? Then, create content that connects with them. Third, be willing to be vulnerable. These are real-life experiences you've lived. It's not about tearing down anybody else; it's purely about the intent to help others. When people can see that, the impact of it is much greater, but it does require some vulnerability.?

Kimberly: You provide educational opportunities to college students with the Jeff and Tara Kesler banking scholarship and raise funds for healthcare, breast cancer awareness, and children's welfare. Can you tell us more about these programs and what inspired you to invest your time and resources into philanthropy?

Jeff: Ryan and Jim Palmer of the Ryan Palmer Foundation, have been professional golfers for years. I got the honor of serving on the board of their foundation with some other wonderful people. They support Shriners Children's Texas , a hospital there in which Ryan's father was a Shriner.?

That's the healthcare aspect that we do. We contribute to a Pro-Am tournament and whatnot there that people get to participate in and see. Regarding breast cancer, Jen's a breast cancer survivor, and we've actually invested through the foundation into a mobile clinic that will travel and provide services and scans for people who may not otherwise be able to make it in another community. Her passion was dentistry as well, and so in certain communities, she aimed to provide investment for people to fix oral surgeries and things in different cases like that.?

The last part is deeply personal. Having gone to college at @Fort Hays State University… I did not intend to be a banker, because no one had really told the story of the opportunities there are in banking. But one day I received an offer in my answering machine thanks to our career services director and a banker in Dallas. If that had never happened, I never would have been part of the Veritex story.?

The seed that was planted by that person at the university… knowing what's happening here in Texas and in the industry, the least we could do, was to give people an opportunity through a scholarship in banking. We know that as rural communities become smaller, banking is vital there. People need banking services. If we're not building leaders or telling the story, the industry's future is not as bright as we'd like it to be. Tara and I felt very passionate about starting the scholarship with the Robbins Banking Institute - FHSU at Fort Hays State University and are very thankful that we actually have our first scholarship participant coming up here this fall.

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