Boison steps up to become U.S. Bank’s market president in central Kentucky
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U.S. Bank central Kentucky market president, Laura Boison. PHOTO BY EMILY MOSELEY
Upon hearing that a large international firm was opening an office in Lexington, bringing jobs that would stimulate the area’s economy, Laura Tanno Boison did what most solid professionals in the world of finance would do. She did her homework.
On a Sunday, Boison spent nearly 10 hours — in between preparing dinner for the family and a hot yoga class — immersing herself in the ways and means of this company. No one told her to do it; no one had to.
As the new market president for U.S. Bank-Central Kentucky, Boison demon-strated the talent, persistence and curiosity that has brought her to this level of achievement and recognition.
“My parents always taught us to do our homework and then do it again,” she said, indicating the depth of knowledge she values in her work and in her relationships. “If a large international company is coming to Lexington, I want to know as much as I can about it.”
At present, the company doesn’t have an account with U.S. Bank, but they may want to in the future.
In addition to this new position, Boison continues her existing role as commercial team lead for central, northern and eastern Kentucky. This strong work ethic and professionalism have led to her new appointment — one that few women in Kentucky have achieved.
“Working with Laura these last two years, it was evident her combination of experience in the industry and knowledge of the market made her the right person to lead our efforts here in Lexington,” said Bob Canada, U.S. Bank’s region president of central, northern and eastern Kentucky for community banking.
In 1977, the day Boison graduated with a degree in accounting from the University of Kentucky, she walked into First Security National Bank, applied for and got a job.
“I always knew I wanted to work in finance and accounting,” she said. “I enjoy working with numbers, focusing on results. Also in banking, you’re evaluated on what you accomplish, and the numbers always tell the tale.”
This interest began when she was 7 or 8 years old. Her mother took her on a trip to New York City, and they ventured down to Wall Street.
“As we walked around Wall Street, I saw the JP Morgan building and was so impressed,” she said. “I said then and there that I wanted to work for such a company.”
And she did. First Security — where she started as a teller and moved up to management — was first bought by Bank One, then by JP Morgan/Chase. Her dream had come true.
During some 30 years in the industry, Boison became the go-to person in Lexington for small-business loans. It was her get-it-done attitude that made people want to deal with her. Over the years, clients (including the writer of this article) reported that she not only took time to understand their business, but she made time to understand their industry and the person behind the business.
After many years, Boison began to realize she’d gotten a little too comfortable as senior vice president at JP Morgan/ Chase.
“It’s like basketball or football: Every year, you start over. You use the same skills with different teammates, different businesses, but it’s the same game.”
She had sat in that same chair, in the same office, with the same view at the First Security/Bank One/JP Morgan Chase building in downtown Lexington for many years, and she had begun to think it was time for a change.
The world was changing, too. Women were moving up to middle management levels in the finance industry but hardly ever reaching top positions. Most banking managers at the time were male, and Boison realized this was unlikely to change any time soon. She thought back to one of her father’s favorite sayings, “As you go through life, make this your goal: Keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole.”
“My father used lots of parables and one-liners to teach me and my two sisters important lessons about life. This one about the doughnut referred to knowing what you want and going after it, not getting off track. Both my parents tended to speak in one-liners instead of paragraphs,” she said with a laugh.
It was at that time that Ed Barr at E.S. Barr & Co. offered her a position in his investment company.
“Ed is outstanding in the field of investments, and the offer to work there allowed me to continue to learn from one of the best in the industry,” Boison explained.
“I thought long and hard about leaving the banking industry. After all, I had three kids and their college educations to think about. But I also wanted my kids to see that change wasn’t a bad thing. Children don’t learn from what you tell them,” she said. “They learn from what you show them.”
Two years later, she began to question that decision. She missed the community involvement that was so much a part of the banking world. As luck would have it, an opportunity became available at U.S. Bank at the same time. After talking with her support group — mentors such as Will Rouse and Tom Murrell, colleagues, friends and her family — she made the change, becoming senior vice president and commercial team leader for the central and northeast Kentucky market for U.S. Bank.
“My kids are the driving force in my life. I want them to know the importance of hard work and family,” she said.
Modeling this behavior means that Boison often puts in 18 to 20 hours a day, caring for her children, getting her work done and attending to her community commitments.
“I don’t get much sleep,” she added.
Currently serving as treasurer of Commerce Lexington, a member of the Board of Hospice of the Bluegrass and Women Leading Kentucky, Boison credits her parents with motivating her to do her best.
“The word ‘can’t’ wasn’t in their vocabulary,” she said. “They also drilled in us the importance of keeping what they called ‘contamination’ out of our lives. What they were referring to was negativity — negative people, negative attitudes, pessimism.”
Those who spend time around Boison are bound to hear some of the one-liners that guided her development.
“If it’s on display, it’s on sale” was her father’s way of teaching the importance of modesty in dress and public behavior. “A good Italian never eats on an empty stomach” brought home the importance of generosity and opening your door to others.
Asked about the future for women in business and the financial industry, she echoed her father’s one liners: “I just hope they never know the meaning of the words ‘honey’ and ‘glass ceiling.’” And then, on a more serious note, she recognized that there are more women in the workforce than when she started out. “Women do have more meaningful roles in the workplace today,” she said. “They are participants in making decisions, not spectators.”
As for the future, Boison said she is excited about working to extend and deepen U.S. Bank’s market share and brand in Kentucky.
“U.S. Bank is the fifth-largest bank in the country,” she said, “and I look forward to the challenges involved in my new role.”
Janet Holloway is the founder of Women Leading Kentucky and the author of a new memoir, "A Willful Child."