Bank of Sun Prairie is an independent, full-service financial institution located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The Bank was founded in 1897, and its legacy of customer service continues today across its five locations and appeals to those who wish to leverage technology to conduct their banking affairs or those who wish to visit the newly remodeled main bank location to enjoy friendly conversation and top-notch service.

Situation

With the pending retirement of Alice Hensen, President, the Board of Directors was seeking support and assistance with the recruitment and selection process for their next President/Chief Executive Officer. With the long service of both Tom Tubbs and Alice Hensen, the Board had not navigated an executive-level recruitment in over 40 years. They turned to Wipfli for support and assistance. 

Strategy

Wipfli met with the Board on multiple occasions to gain an understanding of the Bank’s strategic plan, culture, organizational structure, current executive-level talent, and the desired skill set in the next President/CEO. The Board was committed to hiring the most qualified candidate to advance the growth and ongoing success of the Bank. Together, Wipfli and the Board crafted a strategy that would be flexible and responsive and give consideration to internal and external candidates.  Specifically, the strategy was to have Wipfli:

• Create a comprehensive job description.
• Conduct a total cash compensation analysis.
• Identify and execute the candidate sourcing strategy.
• Develop a comprehensive internal and external candidate process.
• Review and screen all candidates and narrow the field to those matching the selection criteria.
• Develop behavioral-based interview questions and facilitate personal interviews.
• Assist in the objective evaluation of candidates.
• Commission background investigations and references.
• Work with the Bank’s attorney to craft appropriate legal paperwork.

Working closely with the Bank through each step of the process to ensure appropriate governance and oversight, Wipfli provided guidance and support to the Board (as a whole and individually) as they closely considered and vetted each candidate and the impact of decisions on the Bank, its employees, and the communities they serve.

Our strategy was to identify and discuss the ramifications of decisions, appropriate communication strategies, and how to appropriately navigate smooth transitions of leadership while mitigating risk.

Benefits

As a result of Wipfli’s human resources expertise, Bank of Sun Prairies has a new President/Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Kauffman, whose leadership style advances the desired culture of the Bank, complements the skill sets of the executive leadership team, and aligns with the Bank’s strategic direction.