We sat down with Ryan Bryant, UMB vice president and regional delivery manager for consumer banking, to learn how his professional and personal experiences allowed him to successfully change career paths and industries.

Tell us about your background and career at UMB.

I graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Following graduation, I worked in retail, sales, marketing and broadcasting for almost 15 years. Seven years ago, after all that time in those industries, I decided to transition into banking and financial services with UMB.

I was in an individual contributor role for my first year at UMB, before I made the move into branch leadership. Recently, I was promoted to regional delivery manager, overseeing 15 branches in Kansas City. The interesting part of my job is I get to teach, coach and develop bankers and managers in all of the aspects of banking, community involvement, engagement and empowerment. I love being able to make an impact by helping others achieve their full potential.

Every step of my career at UMB has been an opportunity to serve my community, peers and teams. My top priority is to give back to them in any way I can, and part of that is through providing the best financial service to our customers. I have been recognized as a top sales performer three times in the last seven years, which demonstrates how success can be achieved through genuine service.

What drew you to UMB?

When I discovered UMB, I was at a point in my life where I was ready for a change. After being in sales, marketing and retail for so long, I wanted to find a role that rewards associates for their community involvement, community impact and career development. With that in mind, the move to banking was logical because of its close work with community members and coming to UMB was the right choice for me.

What is it like to be a personal banker?

As a personal banker, you get the opportunity to give back to the community. I love being able to provide beneficial financial products, services and solutions to our customers. You can truly change a life, make an impact and build up your community with every financial interaction you have. Bankers are solution providers and can financially empower customers to improve their lives.

“I’m lucky that being a banker allows me to harness my desire and drive to serve, while at the same time making a great career.”

If you were describing UMB to a family member or friend, what would you say?

Our mission at UMB is to provide great service that enables us to deliver the unparalleled customer experience. We believe in delivering on this promise every day. As an employer, UMB offers true career development and growth. If you want leadership that empowers and supports you to grow your career and make a real difference in your local community, then UMB could be a great fit for you.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love spending time with my family and for several years I have coached my son’s baseball team. I enjoy playing on a recreational baseball league with my friends and watching the Royals, Chiefs and Sporting KC play. I also love music. In fact, I’m a radio DJ for 94.1 KFKF in Kansas City on the weekends.

Finally, I’m passionate about giving back to a community that has given me so much. I am an Eagle Scout, which has allowed me to serve my community in a variety of ways. I enjoy having the opportunity to help with multiple charities throughout the year and am proud to serve on the board for Wings 4 Water‡, a local organization that provides clean water in Kansas City and beyond.

What is the best ice breaker question, and how would you answer it?

I love asking people to tell me one thing about you that people would not guess about you. My own answer to this is that in my younger days I was an avid equestrian with a love for horses that I got from my mother.

I enjoy looking back at past experiences in my life, like riding horses as a young child or when I began my career in retail because each one has brought me to where I am today. I see my past experiences and the career path I chose as a chance to learn and grow.

“The past serves as guidance and a lesson for how you handle success and adversity in the future.”

I am glad that I leaned into those past experiences because they have prepared me for the success I am experiencing today and helped me better understand what I wanted from my career –which ultimately led me to UMB.

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