Sue McGill planned to be a singer, actor, or nurse when she grew up. She became a banker and is happy with her choice. Years of work in banking have culminated into her most recent promotion to vice president of deposit compliance and corporate training.
Banking started in high school when she worked as a teller. At the same time, she helped at her family’s restaurant and was a grocery store clerk. “I actually remember saying something like ‘I won’t be doing this banking thing for long – this is only temporary.’
“Much to my surprise, I really liked nearly everything about banking; learning what different departments do, both customer-facing and operationally.” Sue adds: “I enjoy helping customers and employees alike, continually trying to find new ways to do the same old stuff, and also find new and innovative solutions for emerging issues.”
She explains how she made her way to the field of bank compliance, “When the bank I worked for was acquired by a large national bank, my position was eliminated. The new bank offered me a job as the compliance officer, and after going to the ABA’s (American Banker’s Association) National Compliance School in 1991, I found my niche!”
Sue joined INB in 2004 after losing a job of 25 years to downsizing. She started in INB’s Audit Department, and eventually was able to use her compliance skills from that previous job. In 2008, Sue earned her Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager designation (CRCM) from the American Bankers Association. In 2013 she took on responsibility for INB training. She says, “It fits nicely with the procedural aspects of my compliance responsibilities.” She says the roles go hand in hand as both jobs involve having processes in place to do things correctly.
Helping Clients Through Employee Training
While she doesn’t work directly with clients, Sue says she helps clients every day. “From the training perspective, we identify issues and develop solutions to improve and simplify our processes. From the compliance perspective, we use the same methodology, but add compliance with law and regulation into the mix!”
Sue calls the Compliance Department the “expense avoidance” department. “We don’t generate income for the bank, but we work hard to protect the bank from monetary fines and penalties, and reputation risk associated with public enforcement actions. So, as long as we do our jobs correctly, and develop processes for our employees to follow which keep the bank in compliance, then it’s a good day!”
Memories of Heartfelt Moments
Sue fondly remembers her first year at INB. “My first year at the bank was INB’s 5th anniversary, and we had an anniversary celebration at which my husband and I got up on stage with John Maxfield’s band, and did our own rendition of ‘These Boots are Made for Walkin’ by Nancy Sinatra. It was TONS of fun!”
While Sue clearly has memorable work days, she said the most surprising day was when her coworkers threw a party for her when she finished cancer treatments.
While not singing or acting today, Sue keeps busy creatively through photography. If she’s not shooting pictures with her camera, she’s taking them with her phone. In addition, she’s been in several bands and made a couple of albums.
While she has this creative outlet, her work in the community is more in line with her work at the bank. Sue is treasurer for InfraGard, whose members include members of the business community, military and government officials, educators, and law enforcement. “The organization’s mission is to contribute industry-specific insight to law enforcement in the interest of advancing national security.”