At Washington Trust, branch managers are more than just leaders; sometimes, they’re crafty quilters who love getting to know their customers on a deeper level. At the Moscow branch, Kylee Strunk exemplifies this dedication to her customers through her commitment to making all customers and colleagues feel comfortable.
Kylee’s love of her neighbors makes banking easy.
Kylee sees her role as branch manager as having two major purposes, the first being creating a climate at the bank where customers feel more like friends than clients.
“I consider my clients my friends, so I want to know what’s going on in their lives,” Kylee said. “I had a customer call me to tell me, ‘We’re having another baby, we’re pregnant and I’m telling you because you didn’t know last time.’”
The other purpose, which goes in hand with her first, is to make customers and coworkers comfortable enough to come seek help when needed.
“Sometimes, it feels like if a manager is coming over, there might be a problem,” she said. “I want it to feel the opposite. Come talk to me if you see me in public!”
I consider my clients my friends, so I want to know what’s going on in their lives."
These efforts have made a noticeable difference at her branch. In recent years, Kylee said she’s seen an uptick in the amount of people seeking her out for advice when it comes to financial issues, such as fraud worries. One such group is college students, with many of them seeking help having never dealt with potential fraud.
Leading by doing.
Kylee’s friendly approach to banking doesn’t exclusively apply to her clients — she also makes it a point to lead by example with her colleagues.
“I work on the teller line once a week, I don’t want to get rusty,” Kylee said. “I always tell my team, if you respect me, I will respect you back. I always lead with compassion and empathy.”
Kylee also has the benefit of understanding what it’s like for her colleagues. She first started at Washington Trust Bank 10 years ago, when she decided to apply for a banking job while working at a local restaurant.
She first started as a Personal Banker, meaning she has experience helping people that walk through the door each and every day, for things ranging from depositing a check to opening a bank account.
“I’m not going to ask my team to do stuff I wouldn’t do myself,” she said.
What’s Kylee’s Awesome?
Here at Washington Trust Bank, we like to as: “What’s Your Awesome?” It’s our way of showcasing the uniqueness of our team members and clients. So, what’s Kylee’s awesome?
When she’s not at the bank helping clients, Kylee is a devoted mother and crafts lover. Kylee has two young children and two adult stepchildren.
“I get that there’s a balancing act that you have to do when working, and being a mom or a parent, there’s things that happen and you just have to be able to roll with the punches, and having an understanding boss makes all the difference,” Kylee said.
This devotion to her family translates to how she leads her team, making sure that her colleagues know that she understands they have lives to manage outside of the bank.
When she’s not busy with her kids, Kylee loves making crafts, with her favorite being quilting.
“I come from a family of quilters, so that’s usually my relaxation space,” she said. “I was actually an art major in college and art is my stress relief.”
Kylee also paints and makes other crafts, but quilting is her main focus. She occasionally sets up booths at craft shows to sell things she makes and also makes quilts for family members on special occasions.
“I come from a family of quilters, so that’s usually my relaxation space. I was actually an art major in college and art is my stress relief.”
Getting to know Kylee is one way to understand the atmosphere of our Moscow branch. Her commitment to the comfort and success of her customers and colleagues makes her a priceless part of the Washington Trust family.
If you’re on the Palouse, stop by and say hi to Kylee — she’s someone who loves hearing about what’s going on in your life, whether it’s fraud concerns or your first-born’s first steps.