RankingBanking 25 - Flipbook - Page 28
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“Our premise has always been simple. If we can matter to our customers,
matter to the communities in which we operate and matter to
one another, we can create an environment of shared success.”
Mike Daniels, Nicolet Bankshares
the Resch Center, a local arena that hosts every-
a highly focused community bank,” according to
thing from minor league hockey games to Monster
the bank’s first annual report. The name Nicolet
Jam events. The venue is across the street from
comes from Jean Nicolet, the French explorer who
Lambeau Field, home of the beloved Green Bay
is considered the first European to have traveled
Packers, where Daniels serves on the board. And
through what is called Wisconsin today.
in a nod to the state’s dairy industry, during one
Nicolet follows a “three circles” vision, which
week in June, a live cow was sitting under a tent in
centers around the idea that customers, employ-
a Nicolet branch parking lot.
ees and shareholders all have their own separate
“You can walk around the community and
interests but that it’s the company’s job to create
look at a map of significant businesses that were
shared success among the groups. This philosophy
not here prior to Nicolet’s founding, businesses
is then driven by the bank’s core values: “Be Real.
that would either be very small or non-existent
Be Responsive. Be Personal. Be Memorable. Be
if it wasn’t for [Daniels] and [co-founder Bob
Entrepreneurial.” Daniels has these core values —
Atwell’s] formation of the bank and willingness
totaling just 10 words — hanging from the ceiling
to make bets on businesses,” says John Dykema,
in his office as a piece of artwork of sorts.
Nicolet’s lead director and a local business owner.
It’s certainly not unusual for a bank to have a
Daniels and Atwell started Nicolet in 2000,
corporate mission statement or vision that suppos-
with Daniels cheekily calling the founding of
edly drives decision-making and operations. But
the bank “Mike and Bob’s Excellent Banking
Nicolet seems to truly embrace it. Terry McEvoy,
Adventure,” a reference to the 1989 film “Bill &
a managing director and research analyst who
Ted’s Excellent Adventure” about two high school
follows the company for Stephens, notes that
friends traveling in time.
the bank’s financial performance over the years
The pair had worked together as commercial
bankers at the now $43 billion Associated Banc-
demonstrates that this type of discussion “is not
just smoke and mirrors.”
Corp, a regional institution also based in Green
In fact, during McEvoy’s first-ever meeting
Bay, before deciding to strike it out on their own.
with Nicolet, the management team kicked off the
They believed “there was an extraordinary
discussion by outlining this three circles philoso-
opportunity in our area [northeast Wisconsin] for
phy. “It’s more than just corporate speak to them.
