A Q&A with Huntington Bank President Susan Baker Shipley

Typical day at the office?

There is no one typical day. The best days are working with colleagues to deliver unparalleled solutions and service to our customers and clients. We all share the responsibility and excitement of making this bank the best it can be and doing the right things for our clients.

Why Pittsburgh?

Living in this region my entire life, I have seen tremendous change: in fact, we are part of one of the greatest comeback stories in modern times. Pittsburgh has an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit, strong work values, a diversified economy, a cleaner environment and a good quality of life. Whether you have a large company like Huntington or a small business, this region has tremendous resources to grow and be successful. Personally, my family lives up to their Baker name in that my relatives in the Pittsburgh area go back five generations in the baking industry. In fact, my family members started and ran bakeries here that through the years became Jenny Lee Bakery and Karns Bakery. Now, relatives of mine run Mancini’s Bread Company and 5 Generations Bakery, both located in Pittsburgh.

How does your company leverage technology?

Our goal at Huntington is to stay relevant to the consumer and stay passionate about doing the right thing. Customers want and expect real time results, all the time. They want to engage us in any channel that is convenient—branch, phone, on-line—and receive current information such as recent transactions and balances. We have rolled out features like alerts to mobile devices to notify customers of recent transactions and overdraft/24-hour grace notifications. We are working hard to deliver real time results through new enhancements that will offer additional functionality with a parallel focus to ensure the utmost security.

Best advice you’ve received?

Don’t be afraid to seek out good mentors. I am blessed with mentors I can reach out to at any time for counsel. Another piece of wisdom I rely on is taking ownership and accountability for your own career development. A strong leader needs to seek out the opportunities to develop the professional skills needed to continually drive value, as well as the values to drive sustainable growth.

Secret to success?

My parents, without a doubt. I was always encouraged to dream big and try new things. My parents are extremely hard-working and faith-filled people, who taught me to value my blessings and that no matter what your state of life, you have an obligation to share your good fortune with others. The belief in giving back is absolutely core to who I am. I wanted to work for a company with similar values, which is why I wanted to work at Huntington.

Technology you can’ t live without?

Definitely my iPhone. It’s my communication center, alert/reminder system, on-demand news and research tool, navigating system, playlist, calendar, and of course, my mobile bank.

For more bytes of the Pittsburgh region’s tech sector visit techburgher.com