Louvera Walden
GBA Compliance Committee 2006-2019
GBA Compliance School Board of Directors 2014-2019
Senior Consultant
Capco RISC Consulting
Atlanta
Q: When and why did you decide you wanted to go into banking?
A: It was fate! Decades ago, I had an opportunity to join a community bank. That decision has led me to expand my interests. Once I completed the AIB’s Law and Banking Course, I was hooked and over time, landed a strong career in regulatory compliance.
Q: Please detail your personal experience with the banking industry.
A: My career in banking began Jan. 2, 1980, as a part-time money room teller. This ground floor opportunity provided me exposure to the operational risks of community banking. From that role, I became a full-time teller and worked in operations. I found the operational aspects ladled with compliance risk, which made me a great fit for the manager of loan operations moving quickly into a full-time compliance role. My work experience was only strengthened by my desire to learn. I earned my college degree while working full time. My employers, like CAPCO, understood the value of education, and helped with my tuition expenses. This support was critical to me developing my professional goals.
It is important to tell you about my acquisition experiences too. Looking back, I learned a great deal from being acquired. All but one bank that I worked for was acquired by another institution. Each acquisition was a learning experience and I was fortunate to demonstrate my value. In fact, my relocation to Georgia came about because the bank I was working for in Alabama was purchased by a Georgia bank that needed expertise in compliance. In 2014 I found myself transitioning from working for a bank employer to working as a Regulatory Compliance Consultant with @Capco RISC Consulting. I’ve found that my experiences within the banking industry have been invaluable in providing assistance to other compliance officers and bankers. I understand the challenges of our clients which allows me to offer effective, efficient, and practical recommendations. I look forward to the continued changes in the community banking industry as we navigate digitalization.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: This is a difficult question as I enjoy so many aspects of my job. I love traveling and working with different bankers in various types of financial institutions. But primarily, helping a fellow compliance officer improve his or her compliance management program or some aspect of it is my favorite part. This is one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed serving on GBA’s Compliance Committee and Compliance School Board of Directors. Compliance affects all of us equally and we can support each other through these functions.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve received and used?
A: There were many mentors in my career who guided me and helped to smooth the rough edges, however my first mentor was my Dad. He told me that if I worked hard at everything I was asked to do and really learned my job, I would be given more responsibility. He was right! Working hard to learn the job, showing management that I was learning by educating myself and by taking training classes have helped me grow from that part-time money room teller to a respected compliance professional. You never stop learning in banking.
Q: When are you happiest?
A: I’m happiest when I’m with my family and we’re just enjoying being together, chatting. However, that does not dull the happiness I feel when I can add value to my peers, clients and colleagues. I enjoy being part of the solution.