Pausing To Raise Family Doesn’t Stop Ascent to Senior Vice President

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Jody Clark didn’t intend to have a lifelong career in banking. But the job she took as a teller in college quickly turned into a series of promotions that culminated in a district manager role in the Cincinnati area. Clark loved the position and thought she found her dream job.

With the birth of her first child, however, Clark wanted to be home full-time to focus on raising her family. She dabbled in a few other areas before returning to banking when the youngest of her four children started elementary school.

And that’s when her career truly took off.

Today, Clark is senior vice president in the U.S. Bank Investment Advisor Services (IAS) Division within Global Fund Services, overseeing business development, relationship management, onboarding of new advisors, and sales support. Her team works with over 340 registered investment advisors across the country to provide custody services, such as settlement, safekeeping and reporting of marketable securities and cash, for their clients.

“Anything revenue, I’m responsible for,” she said.

Clark has worked in IAS since 2012, when the group was created, and she has helped make sure it’s been on a fast track for growth ever since.

“Jody has been the lead new revenue generator every year she’s been in a sales role and now she’s doing a terrific job managing the other members of our front office team.” says Jay Martin, president of Global Fund Services. “She has a great sales skill set and the perfect mindset to lead growth initiatives in a business that often feels like a startup even though it’s part of massive financial enterprise.”

Clark agreed: “With IAS being a new division when I started and now a decade plus with tremendous growth, we’ve been able to mold and create things as we go. Having an entrepreneurial mindset is so important and our management team has embraced that.”

Clark credited the success of IAS, and her own career, to the team she works with and the strength of her relationships within U.S. Bank and with her advisors.

“When I talk to our current and prospective advisors, I strive to be transparent and honest,” she said. “I work for a fantastic, strong and ethical company, and I always lead with that. It’s important to listen and learn from your clients before sharing what we can offer. Building a relationship of trust is the most important piece, and I’m blessed to be supported by a wonderful team that also shares that philosophy.”

Clark said she is often asked by colleagues starting their own careers, particularly women, for advice. She quotes the advice her mother gave her that has been her own lodestar: be consistent.

“I took that to heart. I strive to be consistent in everything I do; every day, from my appearance to how I treat people,” she said. “I want everyone around me to know at all times what they are going to get with me every day, whether that be in a professional or casual setting. Because how you do anything is how you do everything.”

Clark also credited her success to her competitive nature and the fact she’s “a huge planner.” Most days, you’ll catch her walking five miles a day. That’s her time to reflect on her workday and plan and organize the days ahead.

“I’ve always loved to walk, but my consistent habit of walking started when I joined IAS. It was such a new and challenging role that my brain just needed quiet time to process everything,” she said. In addition to helping her think about work, her love of walking also turned into a competitive goal of completing marathons multiple times a year with her sister.

When Clark is with her family, she always aims to be completely present and in the moment.

“My family is my biggest joy and achievement, and time moves too quickly” she said.

Clark isn’t sure if her children are impressed with her success in banking but is hopeful now that her children are adults and have launched on their own careers, they’ve been able to absorb lessons from her own journey.

“I work really hard at every single thing that I do, and love to play hard. I hope they have learned that from me,” she said. “They’re all doing really well and I’m so proud of them."