The playoff series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies is causing some tension in the Binder household.
Philadelphia native Lisa Binder and her family moved to Milwaukee in January 2007, when she was appointed president and chief operating officer of Associated Banc-Corp. She previously held the position of group executive vice president and director of retail and business banking for the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest Regions of Citizens Financial Group in Philadelphia.
With the Brewers taking on the Phillies in the first round of the National League Divisional Series, who is she rooting for? Her original hometown or her new hometown?
"I will admit to my house being divided, but my loyalties are not divided, and clearly I root for the Brewers," Binder said, noting that her husband, Chris, also is rooting for the Brewers, while her two children remain Phillies fans.
"I honestly hoped we wouldn’t come down to this, but it did, and you have to pick a loyalty. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse with the political picking of sides, we had to choose a baseball team," Binder said. Associated Bank is a corporate sponsor of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Earlier this week, Binder was named one of the 25 most powerful women in banking by U.S. Banker magazine. She will be formerly recognized at an award ceremony later in October.
"I think it’s a great honor for Lisa. It reflects the importance of her role at Associated Bank, and her position in the industry as well," said Paul Beideman, chairman and chief executive officer of Green Bay-based Associated Banc-Corp. "In terms of being an executive at a financial institution she brings a set of comprehensive skills and experiences to that job."
"Well, obviously it’s a terrific honor for me, and for me, it is a shared recognition for my colleagues at Associated and the team that I have here," Binder said. "Paul Beideman has been my mentor of more then 20 years. So, you can have talent and hard work, but if that doesn’t coincide with opportunity, you don’t ever get to realize success. Paul and many other mentors along the way have provided that guidance and opportunity for me." Binder oversees Associated Banc-Corp’s lines of business, including retail, commercial and corporate banking, corporate real estate, wealth management, and insurance services. She also oversees the bank’s IT systems, marketing and communications functions, and operations.
