Meet Lindsey Wedel, Chief People Officer
Core Bank is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month and feature Women in Leadership at Core Bank throughout the month.
Lindsey Wedel has been with Core Bank for 23 years. Lindsey’s path with the bank began in 2000 as a part-time Teller while attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha as a Goodrich Scholar. While in school studying Elementary Education, Lindsey progressed to Personal Banker and found her love for teaching served her well in the role, as she was able to educate customers on beneficial products and services. In 2004, Lindsey earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education but found it hard to leave an organization where she had found such wonderful friends and professional growth opportunities.
After taking on a Branch Manager role for several years, Lindsey was able to combine her love for teaching with her love for banking when she became the Employee Development Officer, responsible for training and development across the organization and assisting with various Human Resources responsibilities. Always one to continue her professional development, Lindsey earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2016 and was soon promoted to Vice President of Human Resources, responsible for HR management and administration. In December 2022, Lindsey became the Chief People Officer, taking on a more strategic role that includes talent and organizational development. In her new role, Lindsey enjoys being able to make an impact through engagement and helping empower Core Bank’s people to develop themselves personally and professionally.
Lindsey shared her input regarding women in leadership:
What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful leader?
There are two qualities that I feel are essential for leaders – Empathy and open-mindedness. Empathy in leadership means we understand the needs of the people on our teams and know that those needs vary from person to person. Emotionally intelligent leaders have teams who are more engaged because the individuals on those teams feel respected and have a greater sense of psychological safety.
Being open-minded is vital as a leader, especially when an organization is growing quickly. Nothing kills creativity, growth, and development quicker than a leader who says, “…but we’ve always done it that way.” Leaders must be open to new perspectives, and new information to help themselves, their team members, and their organization grow.
Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women at the top?
I believe all companies can benefit from having diversity in leadership. With diversity in leadership comes diversity in thought. Individuals’ unique backgrounds and experiences offer different, fresh perspectives. A wide variety of perspectives builds creativity and improves how leaders can relate to the community around them. There is strength in diversity, as well. A strong, effective leadership team is not an echo chamber; those diverse voices are heard, ideas are shared, and more importantly, encouraged. I’m proud to be part of such a leadership team with several wonderful women.
Lindsey and her husband Jeremy have two teenagers, Brenna and Tyler, a rewarding challenge that they learn from every day. The Wedel family lives in Omaha, along with their two dogs, Karl and Hank. When not involved with their kids’ sports and activities, Lindsey and her husband are followers of the Dave Matthews Band and will soon see their 27th and 28th DMB concerts this summer. Lindsey is also an avid listener of true crime podcasts, a big fan of “glamping”, and loves to soak up the sun outdoors.
We are delighted to have Lindsey on the Core Bank Leadership Team sharing her many talents and developing teammates as Chief People Officer.