With parents who owned a French restaurant right outside Boston, Maria Tedesco knows about long hours and keeping the doors open, even during snowstorms. “My father always wanted to be there for his customers,” says Atlantic Union Bank’s president. Working in her family’s restaurant gave Tedesco a head start on learning finance and delivering a great experience. “You were treated as an adult, and I was accountable to something bigger than just me every day.”
Those same long hours and customer care came to the forefront again in March and April as Tedesco and her teammates quickly prepared for the COVID-19 crisis, from handling routine transactions to processing federal Paycheck Protection Program loans. Atlantic Union was one of the first banks to close and offer by-appointment and drive-though service only, and 85% of the bank’s employees were working from home by March 16. “We are deeply rooted in caring for our teammates, the customer and community,” Tedesco says. “I think the response to the payroll protection program is representative of that.”
Tedesco readily makes herself available, especially to those who directly assist customers. One initiative developed from a spring 2019 listening tour has been the Women’s Inclusion Network, which recently hosted several panels of female employees. During these discussions, women talked about their work experiences, and male attendees shared how they would take what they heard and improve their own leadership skills. “Women have made progress in banking, but we have a long way to go,” Tedesco says
