Meet Ron Griggs, a servant-leader who builds on the positive

Before joining our team in 2021, our Southern California Business Banking Center Manager Ron Griggs developed a knack for leading and building small pilot programs into booming successes. For example, he led an effort to market merchant services to businesses via in-store branches and managed a call center aimed at acquiring and supporting business clients.

In the first scenario, when Ron was a merchant services market manager, his can-do attitude, community ties and prospecting experience helped grow the program from 20 supermarket branches to 40 such locations. And when he led the call center pilot, he expanded the program from four agents to 25, and from one department to two. You might say he has the Midas touch.

While most of his experience has been at large national and regional banks, Ron is thrilled to put his experience to work for Banner, guiding a team of business bankers who serve clients from Los Angeles to San Diego. He’s especially pleased with the people-first aspect of our company culture.

“It’s been a really great experience for me,” he said. “There’s a focus on people here. I’ve felt it from the interview on through.”

Our culture is a great fit for the self-described “servant-leader” who enjoys identifying and building upon his team members’ strengths. It’s so much more positive and motivating, he said, than focusing on weaknesses. And, he added, it builds team members’ self-esteem, helps them perform better and leads to success for the banker and the client. Ron is also a big fan of collaborative problem solving, and partners closely with team members if needed to determine the best way to meet client needs.

Like many in banking, Ron didn’t set out to make a career of it. From a one-time livelihood in the performing arts, Ron “took a leap of faith” in 2009 to work in banking at the encouragement of his brother who was then a branch manager. Ron acclimated quickly, and was promoted into increasingly responsible roles.

“When you have a creative background,” he said, “you can look at things from a different perspective. You can be innovative. That’s been helpful in my career.”

Ron calls himself a history buff and a foodie, and combines these interests with a love of travel. He’s been to London seven times and rang in the 2020 new year in Paris. Closer to his San Diego home, he enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities. He returned to his home state to join our team, and we’re sure glad he did.

“I’m very, very happy to be in the financial world,” Ron said. “We can do so much to impact the broader community.”