Pub. 8 2017 Issue 3

www.wvbankers.org 8 West Virginia Banker Meet Your Chairman — Todd Clossin How I became a banker: I started working at a temporary job in Canton, Ohio for Harter Bank and Trust. Harter Bank was a community bank that had been previously purchased by Society Bank, which is now KeyBank. My role was as a human resource generalist. I wrote job descriptions and helped with the salary and wage program. It was a great way to learn about all of the different roles in a bank. The temporary job turned into a full-time job when I was promoted to the credit department where I spent several years spreading and analyzing financial statements. The one person who had the greatest influence on my career: I would have to say both my mother and father. They were quite different in their strengths and I learned from both of them. My father is very much a people person and showed me how to build relationships by taking me on sales calls, while I was in high school, as he traveled the mid-west as owner of a safety footwear company. I carried a briefcase and he would introduce me as his associate. My mother was a successful manager who oversaw merchandise purchasing for Sea World of Ohio. I would go to dinner with her and various vendors who were trying to sell merchandise to the park. She had great organizational and negotiating skills that I witnessed first-hand. Looking back on it now, I had a real life education in business from them before I graduated high school. Best advice I received during my banking career: Surround yourself with good people who have diverse views, opinions, and perspectives. This will allow you to hear all sides of an issue before making a decision. Know when to lead and when to let others lead, don’t let your ego get in the way and learn from your mistakes. Those mistakes can be more valuable than your successes. Advice you would give emerging leaders in the banking industry: Be geographically mobile and don’t be afraid to accept ca- reer challenges that expand your knowledge. Become a stu-