Lisa Brubaker walked into WSFS Bank almost four decades ago as a teller with a degree in biology. Today, she is executive vice president and chief human resources officer, after roles in retail strategy, technology, and operations.
“My story is really a testament to the company’s willingness to give associates an opportunity to grow and to stretch themselves,” she said.
Brubaker is far from the only WSFS success story. The bank’s chief information officer started as an intern in the mailroom, and several other executives also worked their way up through the ranks.
Founded in 1832, WSFS is the oldest and largest locally headquartered bank and wealth management franchise in the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware regions. For Chairman, President, and CEO Rodger Levenson, that longevity comes with an obligation: develop the next generation.
“It’s important to have continuity of leadership,” he said. “That comes by working to develop talent at all levels of the company.”
Spreading Their Wings
Some of that development happens organically, the way Brubaker’s did. Some of it is more structured. For example, WSFS pairs early career associates with senior leaders through a nine-month mentoring program, BRIDGE (Building Resources for the Inclusion of Diverse Associates through Growth and Engagement). So far, 100% of the initiative’s graduates are voluntarily employed with WSFS, and more than a third have been promoted.
Leah Hendron joined the program hoping to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Hendron’s mentor helped her conquer a fear of public speaking so thoroughly that she gave a speech at her own wedding. A year later, Hendron was co-chairing the bank’s Women’s Inclusion Network and had moved into a client-facing role as a commercial relationship manager, a path she once thought impossible as an introvert.
“I learned how to show up more fully as myself, at work and in my personal life,” Hendron said. “My mentor saw strengths in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself.”
Sierra Graham began her tenure at WSFS as an intern. Now a full-time associate on the bank’s card services team, she is also helping train a new intern who recently joined the bank.
“From the first day of my internship until now, my manager and team leads have taken time out of their days to pour so much knowledge into me,” Graham said.
Rooted Right Here
Levenson has been with WSFS for 20 years. Coming into the role from a larger institution, the executive appreciates that WSFS associates feel connected to the decisions made within the organization. “There’s never going to be a decision made in this company that isn’t made right here,” he said.
That connection is rooted in a culture nearly two centuries in the making, anchored by three words: service, truth, and respect. “The most important part of working together is living our values,” Levenson said. “It keeps people grounded in what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Giving back to the community is built into the company calendar. Every associate receives four paid hours a month to volunteer for their chosen cause, and once a year the whole organization turns out for We Stand for Service Day, a company-wide volunteer initiative. Last year, more than 1,600 associates gave back to some 130 organizations across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Names, Not Titles
At WSFS, associates are encouraged to speak candidly with executives, including those who aren’t their managers. And everyone, from the C-suite down, wears a name tag — a tradition that was born when the bank grew too large for everyone to know one another.
“Associates tell you what’s really going on in the organization, not just what I hear from my team or what I observe myself,” Brubaker said.
Levenson holds himself to the same standard. He describes his leadership style in one word: authentic. “The person that I am at WSFS, I would hope, is very similar to the person that I am outside of work,” he said. “People spot inauthenticity really quickly.”
They Just Keep Coming Back
Nearly 400 WSFS associates celebrated their work anniversaries at the company this year, with tenures reaching 45 years. And some 50 current associates are what Levenson calls “boomerangs”: people who left for another opportunity and came back. “They said, ‘I didn’t appreciate just how strong the culture was until I went somewhere else,’” he said. “That speaks volumes.”
For Brubaker, loyalty is personal. “My connection is being part of this long history of an organization that has meant a great deal to our community and to our clients, and I want to be part of seeing that continue to thrive for others,” she said.
Loyalty goes beyond the institution’s walls, too. Levenson says clients and associates across the Delaware Valley remain loyal to the company. Many of them have resided in the region for a long time, and want the bank that never left the area to keep growing.
“There’s really a sense of people rooting for us,” Levenson said. “That, to me, is very energizing.”