Movers & shakers: David Thompson, MidCountry Bank

David Thompson, MidCountry Bank

Title: Chief commercial banking officer

Age: 56

Industry veteran David Thompson is working to drive growth with business clients as the new chief commercial banking officer at MidCountry Bank.

Thompson said joining MidCountry appealed to him because it "not only has the capital to move this bank forward but also has the strong desire to do it."

MidCountry, a full-service, privately held community bank, will appeal to commercial and industrial clients because it offers knowledgeable bankers, can make quick decisions and is easy to work with, Thompson believes.

He came to MidCountry from Associated Bank, where he was a Minneapolis-based executive vice president. He previously was with U.S. Bank for 28 years, most recently as senior vice president in charge of Twin Cities' commercial banking.

As its commercial banking business grows, MidCountry likely will hire new bankers to join the experienced ones now on staff. Thompson said he and president and CEO Steve Meads would share their extensive experience with them.

Thompson has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, where he now is an undergraduate advisory board member.

MidCountry, headquartered in Bloomington, has a regional presence in Minnesota, southern Illinois and Nevada.

Q: What can MidCountry offer business clients?

A: You have to make sure you have all the products and services they need to be successful. You have to have educated bankers who can talk relevantly with that client regarding the products and services that they need. You've got to make sure that you can deliver on what you talk about. When I did my due diligence on MidCountry, I found we've got the products and services, we have knowledgeable bankers, and we're going to add to that banker pool, and we've got the desire to execute.

A: It is recovering. The businesses in the Twin Cities region are still cautious but far more optimistic than they were even 18 months ago. They're considering growth plans, they're considering buying new equipment and they're looking at expansion, things that weren't on the table 18 months ago.

Q: What motivated you to choose banking as a career?