Jordon Geiger
Chief Wealth Management Officer
6430 Bridge Road, Monona
JGeiger@lakeridge.bank
(608) 826-3561
Q: What is your role at the bank?
While I have been a part of Lake Ridge Bank for 18 years, I recently became the Bank’s first Chief Wealth Management Officer to fill a new role on our Executive Team. Prior to that, I served as Senior Vice President & Senior Trust Officer on our Wealth Management Team. As CWMO, I oversee the strategic direction of our Wealth Management division and provide insights to the Executive Team identified through my direct daily interaction with businesses, nonprofits, families, and individuals. Our Wealth Management Team has 32 associates that help steward the financial wellbeing of our clients via investment management, long-term financial advisory, and trust and fiduciary services.
Q: How did you get into banking as a career?
When I graduated from college, I didn’t even know what trust services were. My first experience working in banking was during an internship the summer after my junior year. I thought I wanted to be a business lender, and I really enjoyed helping small businesses find capital to bring their ideas to life. When I graduated, the most intriguing job I found in banking was as an assistant to one of the financial advisors here at our bank. I figured I could get a foot in the door, learn as much as possible, and then eventually move into lending when a position became available. Little did I know that I would absolutely love working on the Wealth Management Team forming relationships with clients that span the lifetime of their business. We get to be involved in so many of the details and get to hear about their dreams for “some day.” Luckily, the leadership here saw something in me and worked to nurture my interests and grow my responsibilities over time. I don’t think I would have had the same career path if I had started an any other bank.
Q: What are the best things about living and working in this area?
First and foremost, the people are so nice here. “Midwest nice” is a real thing! But beyond that, the general quality of life is really good. There are very few places in the country that offer such a wonderful way of life among people who exude sincere kindness. I am also someone who truly appreciates the change of seasons. In the springtime, I enjoy fishing and running with my 14-year-old daughter. In the summer, there are few things better than a good campfire. In the fall, it’s so relaxing to walk the dog and see all the colors of the leaves changing. And in winter, I like skiing and snowshoeing.
Q: Do you have a philosophy of life?
I’ve never thought of these things as a specific philosophy of life, but I do have a few thoughts that guide the way I approach life and work.
First, keep moving. That applies in terms of staying engaged and being adaptable as much as it applies to physical movement. The only certainty in life is change. You can choose to resist it or welcome it. But your choice will frame the way you feel and function.
Second, always be open to trying new things. That’s where all the growth and opportunity happen. This aligns well with my career path. I saw an opportunity to learn about a new area that I didn’t know existed until starting with the Bank 18 years ago. Then my mentors saw something in me long before I recognized it myself, which led to new opportunities and growth.
The same philosophy holds true in my personal life. I set a goal to try something new every year. Sometimes I try it and realize it’s not for me, but now I know. The reward is when you try something new for the first time and love it! In either case, it allows me to engage more in conversations with clients’ passions. The effort needs to be intentional, and I need to commit time to it. One of my recent attempts to try something new was to play pickleball. I was fascinated with the explosive gain in popularity of this sport, so I gave it a shot. For me, I’ll stick to tennis, but now I can have more in depth conversations with many of my clients who love the game. Some of the things I want to try over the next few years include learning a new language, going back to learning guitar (one of the new things I realized I didn’t have adequate time to master the first time around), and getting my pilot’s license. The key is to take them one at a time and make deliberate progress. I’m not sure which one will be next, but those are my top three for the future.
