Spotlight On: John Stacy, Houston Regional Market President, Sunflower Bank
June 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, John Stacy, Houston regional market president of Sunflower Bank, said banking is first and foremost a “people business.” He discussed why the bank is no longer focused on opening new brick and mortar locations, and the key challenges it faces.
What is the overall impact of Sunflower Bank on the region?
We’ve had a complete presence in Houston since 2022 with the acquisition of Pioneer Bank. It gave us a boost with a nice branch footprint across greater Houston that’s a good foundation for growth. Since I joined Sunflower Bank in the summer of 2023, I’ve been building our go to market team and visibility. It’s been a productive year so far and we’re really hitting our speed now.
Our goal is to go into each market and make a difference in the local communities in and around Houston with real relationship banking. That applies to the consumer and to the family-owned businesses. There is so much pent-up desire from consumers and companies for banks that authentically practice relationship-building. I hear that time after time during client meetings that there is a pent-up desire for this. That’s how Sunflower Bank is distinguishing ourselves. Building relationships and demonstrating our value.
There is an influx of companies coming here, and with that, families and individuals are coming. That helps us because we create relationships with businesses and help to build businesses that complement what is already here. Businesses and consumers want that personal touch. It comes down to execution. If we say we are going to do something, we are going to do it.
What products or services do you expect to be the main drivers of growth for Sunflower Bank?
Helping companies manage their working capital, as well as growth capital, is where we focus. With this comes acquisition support and related financing opportunities. Embedded in all of this are treasury management and private banking opportunities. While I am not going to give away our secret sauce for success, I will say we would rather come to your office to provide solutions and solve problems across your complete financial picture. Right here in the Houston area today, Sunflower Bank has senior credit leadership, asset-based lending and commercial real estate relationship managers, private banking services, and that’s not to mention an expert C&I team, our community-focused branch staff, and our Guardian Mortgage division loan originators. And we’re only growing. There is great support for our growth plans in this market.
What are some key challenges for Sunflower Bank or the Houston region?
Our biggest challenge has been name recognition, which means we are rising to the challenge and working harder to prove ourselves and get a foot in the door. In 2022, we acquired Pioneer Bank, which had a presence in Houston but it was not a huge one. At the time of the acquisition, no one knew Sunflower Bank, so we’re still building that brand awareness; not through brick-and-mortar, but by demonstrating our abilities and building relationships with new clients. We will build relationships that stand the test of time. A lot of banks say they do that, but we actually do it. Our associates have come from other banks, often much larger ones, and they bring a nice blend of experience and expertise that allows us to lean into different economic environments while weathering economic storms with our bright minds and expertise.
We are attracting and selecting a team of “A” players so we can stand at the top of the podium at the end of the day. Houston is very competitive, and honestly, a challenge is there are too many banks here today from a recruiting standpoint. Right now this is impacted by our name recognition. Everyone is going after the same A level talent. As we build our understanding of where we are best positioned in the market, we are building a playbook around hiring. Then we know what lane to play in. Staying in our lane is important to be successful. We will not be all things to all people, but when the right company or consumer is identified we are delivering tailored products and services that provide solutions. In other words, we know who we are and what we are capable of. If we say we can provide a solution, then we do it. That level of commitment and honesty has won us a fair share of business in the last year. At the end of the day, all we really have is our reputation, and that is our brand.
How are you hiring and retaining talent?
We are hiring across all business lines and departments. I have learned over the years to be patient, and not rush to hire people. When you try to operate within a model that says hire a certain amount of people by a certain date, you are doomed to fail. That isn’t a good model or strategy, and we prefer to be patient and selective. It is important to know the right questions to ask, and once you know what those are it’s off to the search. We have a very good and attractive culture both at the corporate level and here locally. That’s one of the first points to understand and go after those we believe fit that culture. We are optimistic about finding the right talent, but we don’t want to – or need to – rush into it.
What is your near-term outlook for Sunflower Bank and the Houston region?
We are just getting started. We aren’t a bank that advertises in sports stadiums. We quietly build quality relationships and take market share from bigger banks. The Houston economy is shining, and it has always been resilient. We’re making significant investments in building our teams and infrastructure to help move businesses and families throughout Houston and the surrounding communities forward. Seeing the tremendous growth in Houston’s population both in people and businesses moving into our communities, we believe it makes all the sense in the world for Sunflower Bank to be here. The best is yet to come and we are hiring talent, gaining customers and having fun.
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