BANKER Q&A
FIVE VE minutes with...
Landi Mkhize
CFO Chambers Bank, Fayetteville
Q. HOW DID YOU GET
STARTED IN BANKING?
A.
I began my banking career after graduating from University of Arkansas in 2005 and I joined the Arkansas State Bank Department. I worked there for 8 years during the great recession joining Chambers Bank in 2013. My time at the ASBD allowed me to learn the best and worst part of banking as I worked with banks who were fighting to survive in one of the worst economies since the Great Depression.
Q. WHAT TRAIT DOES THE
MODERN BANKER NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
A.
Adaptability to an ever-changing economy with different inputs than in the past. The banking industry has consolidated much quicker especially in the past 30 years and the skills necessary to stay relevant in the current industry require constant innovation, adaptation, and improvement. Banks’ competitors are more diverse than they have ever been, from money center banks, community banks, and various fintechs, including digital-only branches.
Q. WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE
DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER?
A.
Enjoy the journey. Sometimes we focus on the end outcome so much and don’t embrace the ups and downs that come with the experience; the ups to validate your choices and the downs to rally yourself to overcoming. Enjoy being in the moment with the people around you at the time because, in life, things change quickly.
“I think that banks have the opportunity to be more impactful in people’s lives by developing solutions to issues within our society, including removing barriers to credit for lower-to-moderate income individuals, improving savings behaviors within people and teaching the next generation the financial skills necessary to succeed.” 14
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SUMMER 2022
