WICHITA, Kansas (October 3, 2023)- Two Equity Bank team members have been recognized recently in the Wichita Business Journal’s “Women Who Lead” series.
In July, EVP, Chief Risk Officer Hetal Desai earned honors as part of “Women Who Lead In Financial Services.”
Most recently, for September, Director of Application Services, Becky Winter, was chosen in the “Women Who Lead In Technology” issue.
Brad Elliott recognized as Top 10 CEO Redefining Business >
Both were asked to answer questions about their backgrounds, mentors, advice for other women in their field, and more.
Check out their answers below, and see their full articles here: Hetal Desai, Becky Winter
Hetal Desai:
What has been your career path? I didn’t chase a specific title or career, rather a portfolio of diverse experiences. I climbed several lateral ladders to get to where I am today. This has been especially helpful in my current role, where I do need a breadth of experiences to be effective.
Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career? I owe my foundational knowledge of risk management to John Alshefski, my first manager at SEI. He took a genuine personal interest in teaching us about managing risks. Chuck Booth of Citi Fund Services is another one. In Indian culture, we are very humble. It is “do your work and don’t worry about recognition.” I credit Chuck with making sure I stopped and celebrated my successes, my wins. I cannot talk about mentors without mentioning my mom. She always says you can do anything and achieve anything you want but it does take lot of hard work, time, and tenacity and sometimes tradeoffs with your personal life.
Best advice for a woman wanting to enter any type of financial services? Do not shy away from a non-traditional path (typically considered male) just because you don’t see other women there — yet. Financial services is evolving rapidly, and today, we have way more women in the industry, including on the board and the leadership team here at Equity Bank.
What do you like most about your job? It is difficult to pick just one thing. I like that my job gives me the ability to cultivate a culture that fosters cross functional collaborations. In my role, I also get to see the interactions amongst various functions and teams across the bank, giving me an extensive perspective into the organization. And of course, I am very fortunate to work with a great group of individuals.
Becky Winter:
What has been your career path? In college, I worked as a bank teller and personal banker. From there, I entered a leadership development program with a print manufacturer in Memphis. Looking to get back home, I accepted a role at a banking core provider as an implementation’s specialist helping with core conversions, mergers, and acquisitions. Wanting to return to banking, I saw a natural fit with Equity Bank and their growth through mergers and acquisitions.
Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career? My mentor is my mom, Debbie Winter. She was an IT director, and having her guidance throughout my career has been instrumental. Anytime I have a question on how to handle a leadership situation or IT specific question, I can go to her for advice. Additionally, Jesse Nienke was a guiding force in my development. He taught me how to research issues and solve problems as they arose in the workplace.
Best advice for a woman wanting to enter your field? Do not be afraid to ask questions – understand the why of what we do and how it affects our customers and internal staff. Go into each day looking for opportunity to learn and grow.
What do you like most about your job? In my time at Equity Bank, I’ve never worked the same day twice. You never know what new project or challenge there will be to tackle. There are endless opportunities to learn new processes and products as we continue to expand our footprint. I also have a great team that I enjoy working with every day.