CEO of the Year 2023 Finalist: Jim Reuter

Colorado is full of devoted entrepreneurs, business leaders and tech-savvy visionaries who are constantly taking the business world to new heights. It’s no secret that here, at ColoradoBiz, we love the Colorado business community. That’s why, every year, we spotlight the most impressive CEOs throughout our Centennial state and give credit where credit is due — to the forward-thinking minds constantly chasing the next great idea and upholding their business practices to the most purposeful ideals. We’re proud to introduce our finalists for CoBiz’s prestigious 2022 CEO of the Year award.

Jim Reuter

CEO, FirstBank

Lakewood, Colorado

Website: www.efirstbank.com

Jim Reuter’s career at FirstBank has spanned more than 35 years, the past seven as CEO. His commitment to stakeholders is evident throughout the $28 billion organization.

Reuter guided FirstBank to develop many of its mobile banking applications in-house and pushed the organization to be among the first banks in the nation to introduce new technologies and faster payment services (such as Zelle).

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has flourished under Reuter’s leadership. More than 40% of FirstBank’s employees identify as minorities, and nearly 60% of the bank’s management team – from assistant manager to C-suite – are women. Reuters also helped launch FirstBank’s Multicultural Banking Centers, which offer customers banking services and financial education resources in their native or preferred language with an understanding of their culture.

FirstBank has been recognized nationally for digital banking and customer experience; for the third consecutive year, it was ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power.

Reuter, who grew up on a farm in rural Wisconsin with three brothers, attributes much of his persistence and professional acumen to his father who, despite having only an eighth-grade education, became one of the region’s most successful farmers and created a profitable trucking business.

Reuter’s business sense shows up in many ways. For instance, many consultants advised him to automate FirstBank’s customer service center, a 24/7 department with nearly 200 staff members. But Reuter didn’t believe that would provide an optimal customer experience, and he didn’t like the idea of eliminating staff. And when FirstBank’s support of the LGBTQ community drew angry calls and threats, Reuter handled those calls himself, believing it’s important to stand by all employees and communities, especially those that face opposition. Those are some reasons Reuter boasts a 90%+ approval rating on Glassdoor.

Mike Taylor is the editor of ColoradoBiz.CEO of the Year 2023 Finalist: Vinay Nair