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Some banks are coming up with creative strategies for dealing with the rising cost of health care, from on-site clinics to full-time wellness coordinators. They also are softening the blow of high-deductible plans by phasing them in and contributing to employees' Health Savings Accounts.
October 26 -
Veritex, founded in 2004, operates nine branches, primarily serving areas north of Dallas.
October 26
Location: Dallas
Assets: $808 million
Employees: 147
Chairman, President and CEO: C. Malcolm Holland
As chairman and chief executive of Veritex Community Bank, C. Malcolm Holland gets a kick out of the little things, like writing personalized birthday cards to employees. Holland ran the Texas operations of the former Colonial Bank before it went bust during the Great Recession. After a brief stint with Colonial acquirer BB&T Corp., Holland launched Veritex in 2009. Since then, the Dallas bank has acquired four others and grown to 10 branches and more than $800 million of assets.
Veritex has a culture rife with opportunities for recognition and interaction between employees and the top brass. Several times a year, the staff gets together at the Katy Trail Ice House, a popular local beer garden. "We drink beer, eat things that aren't totally good for you and play games Texans like to play," like horseshoes, says human resources director Marie Reed.
The bank is still relatively new, but has already established some traditions. One fixture is the annual Chairman's Award, which is meant to recognize a special effort. This year's winner was a group of employees who helped raise money for a co-worker who had an aneurysm. "We have a Texas community-bank culture," Reed says. "We're all in this together."
