Women in Banking Q&A Series: Helena Reynolds 

Triad Business Bank has a robust team of talented female professionals, all of which have unique and compelling stories worth telling. This Q&A series will shine a spotlight on the amazing women at Triad Business Bank as they share their industry experiences, professional advice, and personal interests.

Welcome to our first installment of our Women In Banking series as we learn about the passions and inspirational women of our C&I Portfolio Manager, Helena Reynolds.

Q: Did you grow up in the Triad?
Helena: I grew up in Pilot Mountain, NC.

Q: What are your main hobbies & interests outside of work?
Helena: My main hobbies outside of work are enjoying my family and friends, especially watching my oldest daughter play basketball and my youngest enjoy swimming and gymnastics.

Q: What causes are you passionate about?
Helena: I am passionate about working in the community and building relationships.  I love to help non-profits; I have assisted and been on the board of Hand in Hand Water Safety Awareness Foundation, which helps to teach infants survival swim skills.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
Helena: I listen to all types of genres: hip hop, R&B, country, gospel.

Q: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Helena: When I was young, I wanted to be a veterinarian.

Q: Tell us about how you got into banking.  
Helena: I was in Chapel Hill and became a bank teller at CCB (Central Carolina Bank and Trust).

Q: What led you to your current position in banking?
Helena: I moved through multiple positions within the bank and ultimately got into community banking and thoroughly enjoyed business banking and learning more about companies.  I got into my current position simply by wanting to learn and my hunger for growth within the industry.

Q: What is your ultimate career goal in banking?
Helena: I don’t know that I have an ultimate career goal in banking…just continuing to learn and grow in the industry.

Q: What are some aspects of the career that you enjoy?
Helena: Working with different people and helping others. I have enjoyed underwriting small businesses and helping people reach goals for their business and personal lives.

Q: What are some challenges or obstacles you feel you have faced as a woman in banking, and how did you overcome those?
Helena: I learned that you must be assertive and convicted in your role and the responsibilities that are within it.

Q: What woman/women impacted you most in your career?
Helena: I have had a lot of wonderful mentors and women that believed in me during my banking career, Ginny Hamadi and Leah Price took a chance on me and got me into my portfolio specialist/underwriting position.

Q: Where do you see the banking industry headed in the future? What are some trends you’ve noticed?
Helena: There have been so many small banks consumed by larger banks, the need for local community banks is apparent. I see that possibly evolving more.

Q: How can the industry be more welcoming or inclusive of women?
Helena: I feel that the industry is more welcoming than it has been, there are more women in executive management/upper management positions.

Q: What words of wisdom do you have to encourage younger generations to pursue careers in banking?
Helena: Believe in yourself and be thirsty to learn; find a mentor and absorb all the information that they provide to you. Working in banking is so much fun, especially when you start to build relationships and learn the impact that your role and bank have in the community.

Q: What life lesson have you learned that you think will be beneficial to others?
Helena: To be humble and accept when you are wrong and be willing to learn; that promotes growth personally and professionally.