TAMPA – Roxann Moore, a retired banking executive with Truist, formerly SunTrust Bank, is a believer in mentorship.
She also believes executives should be curious, but not judgmental. And have empathy.
“You really need to make sure people understand your words. It’s quality listening,” she told the group of about 25 Executive MBA students.
Moore was the invited speaker at the Jan. 6 Distinguished Speaker Series at the USF Muma College of Business where students listened as she shared insights from her nearly three decades career at Truist.
“Being prepared was part of my brand. I would dig deep, and I would ask a lot of questions,” she said.
She said she would watch the veteran broadcast journalist Barbara Walters and study and take notes on how she asked questions.
When asked how she navigated success in the then male-dominated banking field, she recalled her parents ran a dairy farm and her father taught her those first lessons on toughness. “I didn’t realize what a great training that was for me,” she said.
As an executive vice president at Truist, she most recently served as Head of Corporate and Investment Group Client On-boarding & Lifecycle Management. She also formed and launched the bank’s Treasury Operations and served as the executive lead of the organization, managing a team of more than 300 team members. Moore launched her career with C&S Bank and Barnett Bank.
Moore said her favorite role was running the sales teams in the Tampa Bay region. She loved the direct community involvement and working with business to realize their business plans and succession plans. “I loved the impact you had on the clients,” she said.
Among other words of wisdom:
- On getting team members to reach their sales goals: “If you don’t have something that’s not a stretch, then you’re never going to get there,” she said.
- On key lessons from her corporate banking career: “Learning to slow it down. Ask the question and seriously listen for the answer and not wait for the answer you’re expecting,”
- The one quality or skill that helped her rise in her career: determination.
- On being part of the community, whether serving on boards or participating in a volunteer event: “I think it’s important – no matter what level you’re at – to be able to give back to your community,” she said. “Don’t pick something because it looks good. It’s got to be something that resonates with your purpose.”
Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of South Florida. She completed a variety of specialized education and leadership programs with SunTrust, including Advanced Leadership and Advanced Management Programs. She also serves on the college’s Executive Advisory Council.
USF’s Executive MBA program is a top-ranked program in the country. Fortune released its “Best Executive MBA Programs” rankings for 2023 and placed USF in the No. 29 spot. The Muma College of Business program also took the No. 18 spot among public universities and the No. 1 spot in Florida.