"We all have reflective moments. Every year I ask myself, 'Is this still the right place for me?'," said Meg Schneithorst, President of the St. Louis Region at Enterprise Bank & Trust.
Meg credits her colleagues and the corporate culture as the biggest reasons she has been with the bank for over 15 years. Enterprise is continually recognized as a top workplace for women.
"That recognition is a pride point and a big part of why I've been here so long," noted Meg. "I have always felt like I've had the same opportunity as anyone else if I work hard and do a great job. I've been able to continue to work on new projects that challenge me and keep me engaged over time."
With two active kids (Christopher plays for the Kirkwood Stars and Catherine attends Dance Center of Kirkwood), Meg and her husband have spent the past year reveling in the relationships that have evolved from being a part of the Kirkwood community. Meg described the parallels with building a relationship with a bank.
"It's really hard to impress on someone what it means to have a relationship with a bank until you need the partnership," Meg said. "You would be surprised how many people don't know the name of their banker. And sometimes it's not even a dedicated person - it's an 800-number." When the first round of PPP came along, the Enterprise team sprang into action to show what having a relationship with a bank looks like. "We pulled people and resources from every part of the bank. We were driven to connect a local banker with a person or a business owner and give them someone to talk with. We wanted to support people and the community even before we had absolute clarity about the PPP program."
Enterprise is intentional about building relationships. "Our approach has always been very collaborative. It helps us determine a supportive approach and a creative way to provide resources and solutions to our clients," said Meg. "The bank has been fantastic at finding the best partner, person, and resource to fill the position. It's very inspiring that there are a lot of women on those lists. We are always 'high teaming.' But the only way that collaboration and high teaming works is when there are a lot of different voices and opinions around the table."
