David Schuelke
President and CEO
Spring Bank
16655 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 100, Brookfield, WI 53005
Industry: Commercial banking
Number of employees: 15
Family: “Married to Carolyn. Proud parent of Allie (age 25, director of public relations and events, SURG Restaurant Group) and Peter (age 17, senior at Brookfield Central High School).”
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
“Spring Bank has continued to grow by providing credit to privately held companies in the face of poor economic conditions. I’m convinced we will be rewarded by establishing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our growing client base.”
What’s new at your company?
“We continue to add new client relationships at a rate that far exceeds our plans and expectations.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“We expect to add two to four professional bankers to our staff over the next 12 to 18 months in order to maintain our commitment to providing a superior client experience and facilitate continued growth.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
“The economic uncertainty that our clients continue to experience is a concern. Business owners are finding it difficult to forecast predictable revenue streams, causing them to be reluctant to commit to growing their staff and capacity.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“Community banks have become more a more popular alternative to large national banks during the course of the Great Recession.”
Do you have a business mantra?
“Our commitment to provide our clients ‘the attention they deserve’ guides everything we do.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“I admire entrepreneurs. I’ve had the privilege to work with business owners that did not recognize failure as an option. Their commitment and vision was an inspiration to me, a ‘conservative banker,’ when we were first building and opening our independent, locally-owned commercial bank.”
What was the best advice you ever received?
“My grandfather told me, ‘You can say anything you want or need to, as long as you do it with a smile on your face.'”
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?
“When I was about 12 years old my father (who was a banker) told me, ‘The last thing you want to be is a banker.’ He must have had a bad day at the office.”
What do you like to do in your free time?
“I have a ‘part-time’ job as coach to player official for the National Football League at Lambeau Field. I also enjoy playing golf, working out, and attending Brewer baseball and UW Badger football games.”
