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President | STAR Financial Bank
Kevin Wright points to the value of relationships in the banking industry, whether those bonds are with co-workers, business owners, community members or even fellow fans at a youth sports event. As president of STAR Financial Bank, a $3 billion community bank with 37 branches, he said he enjoys the connections that come through building those relationships. “Through quality interactions—whether they be trust-building conversations, fun experiences together, helping each other in a time of need, or just recognizing someone in a crowd—I believe the better we can be at intentional relationships, the better our communities will be,” he said. In addition to helping the bank meet its short- and long-term strategies, he oversees the commercial banking team as well as the human resources and marketing departments. He also serves on the boards of the bank and its holding company, STAR Financial Group.
Getting here: STAR Financial Bank requires ownership family members to work outside the organization before joining the company. (His great-grandfather, Selah Wright, was a co-founder of the bank, and his father, Thomas W. Wright, is vice chairman.) Wright began his career at a John Hancock office in Indianapolis in a sales role. He also worked in sales for an Illinois steel manufacturer before joining STAR as a credit analyst.
First job: painting fences, mowing yards, bailing hay and working basketball camps
Influential moment: How the bank rallied to make the most of the Payroll Protection Program for businesses in the community during the height of the pandemic. “The way the team pulled together was nothing short of inspirational,” he said. “I often say it was the closest thing I’ve experienced in my career to an athletic team striving for a championship.”
Givebacks: He sits on various boards, including at Providence Cristo Rey High School, the Indiana chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Indianapolis Zoo, and is a youth sports coach.
Advice: “Trust yourself. If you stay humble and hungry, you can do it. But don’t try to do it by yourself—build relationships and ask for advice. Those around you want
to help.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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