Earlier this year, moving from one company to another was all the rage among local banking executives. Caught up in the swaps was Janet Olson, who left her longtime post at Capital One in April to become Chase Bank’s Baton Rouge market president.
As Business Report details in the new Executive Spotlight feature from the current issue, the move gave Olson a chance to work at a bigger bank—Chase leads the market with 35.6% market share—and an opportunity she says will help her grow.
“I want us to make a difference in Baton Rouge,” she says. “That includes continuing to be involved in our community and to be the bank of choice in Baton Rouge.”
Speaking of community involvement, Chase’s biggest task the last few months has been helping the Baton Rouge area rebound financially from the August flood. Olson notes that the first step in recovery is to get meaningful assistance to victims quickly, like the nearly $400,000 that Chase and its employees donated to relief efforts.
“We were able to waive fees for 500,000 customers and provide assistance on mortgages and car loans for more than 1,800 customers,” Olson says. “We continue to talk to our customers so that we understand their needs and how we can help.”
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A. Here’s a sample of what you will find:
What have been some of the unexpected challenges in your new position?
This has been a challenging year for our city. There has been unrest and flooding, which are things no one expected. However, our response to tough times shows the strength and resolve of the people of Baton Rouge. It’s given me personally, and our organization, the opportunity to form partnerships and to work to address the difficult challenges we face as a community.
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