National Bank of Indianapolis co-founder Morrie Maurer dies at 72

Morrie Maurer, the co-founder and former longtime CEO of The National Bank of Indianapolis, has died at age 72.

Mark Bruin, the bank’s current CEO, confirmed to IBJ that Maurer died over the weekend. Other details were not publicly available as of Wednesday morning.

Maurer co-founded the bank with his cousin, Mickey Maurer, in 1993. At the time, a change in banking laws had sparked a wave of consolidations in the industry. The cousins saw an opportunity to launch a locally focused bank that would emphasize customer service and could fill an emerging void in the market. (Mickey Maurer is a shareholder of IBJ Media, which owns and publishes IBJ.)

Morrie Maurer went on to lead the bank as CEO for the next 25 years, until retiring from that role in January 2019. He remained an active member of the bank’s board of directors until his death.

Under his leadership, The National Bank of Indianapolis grew into the largest locally-owned bank headquartered in Indianapolis. It ranks among the 10 largest banks operating in central Indiana.

Bruin said Maurer created a culture of loyalty and customer service at the bank that endures today. “Morrie’s fingerprints are over [just] about everything we do.”

As examples, Bruin said the bank tracks its employee and client retention as key metrics, and employees receive gift cards and hand-signed notes every five years on the anniversary of their hirings.

“He just had a real heart for people, and in recognizing them and making them feel part of the organization,” Bruin said of Maurer.

Maurer was also devoted to his wife and three children, Bruin said.

Maurer also served as chairman of the investment committee of Indiana Landmarks, on the board of trustees of Butler University, and on the boards of the Indy Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Indiana State Board of Depositories.

Before co-founding The National Bank of Indianapolis, Maurer worked for Indiana National Bank from 1975 to 1992.

In 2019 the Indiana Bankers Association recognized Maurer with a Leader in Banking Excellence award, which is the organization’s highest honor.

Today, The National Bank of Indianapolis has 13 locations, all of them in the Indianapolis metro area, and more than 300 employees. The bank had $2.87 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, according to its most recently filed call report with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

Morrie Maurer’s father and mother, Sidney and Eleanor, ran the famous Atlas Supermarket at the corner of 54th Street and College Avenue. Atlas, which closed in 2002 after 55 years in business, was renowned for its customer service.

Mickey Maurer told IBJ in 2018 that his cousin learned the value of customer relations from his family’s grocery experience, and used those lessons as a banker. “Personal service is one of his important marks,” he said.