Mariner Kemper has served as chairman and chief executive officer of UMB Financial Corporation since 2004. We sat down with him to learn more about his career‡, history at UMB and the impact of his family on his path.
Tell us about your background and connection to UMB.
UMB is part of the fabric of my family – and has been for more than 100 years. UMB is a fourth-generation, family-led business, so our company has been in my blood since the day I was born. My great-grandfather and grandfather started the business in 1913 in downtown Kansas City, then my father continued their legacy, and now I am honored to be at the helm today.
I grew up in Kansas City, and my first job out of college was verifying credit card applications at UMB. The only time I worked away from the company was when I was a trade runner for Cargill in Chicago for a brief season. Over the decades, I have been able to serve UMB in various roles, including moving to Colorado to start the commercial banking division in Denver, and later serving as the market president there.
How has UMB changed over time?
First, I’d like to focus on what hasn’t changed at UMB. The art of personal connection is still at the forefront of our company today, and I’m proud that we have continued to be a relationship-based bank for more than a century. Innovation has also been deeply rooted in our culture. Looking back, UMB was among the first banks to offer auto loans, a drive-thru (however, our first drive-thru window was on the wrong side!) and a deposit counter. It’s incredible to see how much we have evolved and accomplished, and I am looking forward to the next era at UMB.
Regarding what has changed, there has been significant evolution and advancement within the banking industry and at UMB. For UMB, we have grown through organic business change and M&A over the years. Since I took the helm as CEO 21 years ago, we have transformed from a $6.9 billion, Midwest bank to a financial services powerhouse with a presence in 13 states and $71.8 billion in assets (as of June 30, 2025). We have expanded UMB’s business model to include critical portfolio and service diversity—including UMB’s multi-faceted institutional business, which brings in significant deposits and fee income. These efforts have built a company that performs remarkably well against all types of economic and market pressures.
As the environment grows and evolves, we will continue to mindfully adjust to stay current and relevant in the pursuit of meeting (and exceeding) our customer, community and associate needs.
What keeps you excited about your role at UMB?
People. I love interacting with people and enjoy that part of my job the most. From the very beginning, the “people business” really drew me in and continues to excite me; I love building a strong rapport with our internal teams and our customers. I have worked with many of the same people for decades, and as a result, they have become like family to me. Similarly, some of our clients have been with us since the ‘80s, so the relationships we’ve formed are long-lasting and genuine.
The way we support and problem-solve financial needs for people and businesses—whether with opportunities or working through challenges—also really drives me. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of both the day-to-day and milestone journey — from conducting an annual financial review to helping someone buy their first home, or transitioning their family business ownership, it’s truly a privilege to play an integral part in our customers’ lives.
Staying close to our customers will always be important to me—I regularly attend meetings, make visits and check in on many of our customers across the U.S. We operate as an extension of them in many cases, and it’s rewarding to dig into the details alongside them.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love spending time with my family. We especially enjoy traveling and exploring new areas of the country. The outdoors has always been a happy place for me; I enjoy boating of any kind, particularly sailing and kayaking. My family grew up going to Cape Cod for family vacations, and I now do that with my family—it’s a beautiful and peaceful place. I am extremely passionate about land conservation and serve as a trustee for Wetlands America, which allows me to give time to conservation and biodiversity efforts.
What career lessons have you learned that you would share with others?
This one is really an extension of the last question for me.
I’m also an avid reader and look for lessons in whatever I consume. One of my favorite books is The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, because I am a big proponent of learning from mistakes, not successes. I’m always looking to take in information about pitfalls to help me better identify and learn from them. How do you avoid pitfalls? You study pitfalls.
The book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara, also struck a chord with me. His focus on creating memorable experiences and centering success on how one treats fellow associates and customers aligns with our approach at UMB. At the end of the day, raving fans are what help your brand stand out from the crowd.
History is another passion of mine. I have a personal goal to read every primary presidential biography. I’ve read most, with the latest being The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. It’s now one of my new favorites. It was fascinating to read about the constant challenges he faced and the consistent perseverance and commitment he demonstrated throughout. Other favorites include Washington, Lincoln and Reagan.
Finally, I am an entrepreneur by nature, which translates directly to my day-to-day work. I am constantly exploring how to enhance our business. One key principle I stress is consistency. Above all, be consistent in your approach. Keep doing the right things, even if it’s not the popular or common way to do it.
What are you most proud of in your career?
As I said earlier, I love the “people business,” and this aspect of my job continues to motivate me. I am very proud of the strong, internal culture we offer our team members, which I believe directly relates to our industry-leading employee tenure. Our average employee tenure is more than eight years, which is nearly twice the industry average. Our collective strength is what drives us forward, and I am honored to continue to build and nurture a strong, smart and passionate team.
Finally, UMB has been on a strong growth trajectory for the past two decades, but even as we grow and diversify, we remain rooted in who we are. As a growth company, we will continue to expand our horizons, while remaining true to the model that sets us apart and is critical to our ongoing success.
I look forward to the future and many more years of personal and professional growth at UMB.
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