Stacy Kymes will never forget his first summer job as a part-time bank teller in a small Houston suburb. It was after hours, and as he vacuumed the floors, something tripped the bank's alarm system. The 16-year-old didn't realize he had set off the alarm by bumping against a window, and he was surprised, to say the least, when police arrived on the scene.
"I was the only guy in the bank when I heard this banging on the front door," he said. "Every member of the Friendswood Police Department was there with guns drawn."
That was Kymes' first unexpected lesson in finance. The second came in the summer of 1986, at the same bank. Kymes was still working as a teller when he saw on the news that banks were failing across the country and that his bank would be the first in Houston to close. It never reopened.
"I knew something was going on, but I didn't understand it was to that magnitude," he recalled.
From mergers and acquisitions to treasury, credit and lending, Kymes has demonstrated an ability to thrive wherever he's landed in the banking industry. Today, as BOK Financial's® chief operating officer and incoming president and CEO, he relies on the wealth of knowledge and experience he gained while growing up within the company.
Early in Kymes' career, Steven Nell, BOK Financial chief financial officer, recognized his effective communication skills, approachable demeanor and willingness to learn.
"He's adaptable to almost any situation and isn't afraid to try something new," Nell said. "He's good at utilizing the knowledge and expertise of those who work for him to make strategic decisions at the top."
At 6 foot 4 inches tall, Kymes played basketball in high school, and the sport taught him the value of diversity, perseverance and resilience on and off the court. At every stop along his BOK Financial career, he has applied those values, assembling talented teams to advance the company and its people.
“Not everyone gets to play quarterback or point guard. Regardless of where someone fits in the organization, it's important they feel like they own success," he said. "When you fail to perform, you own that together, too.”- Stacy Kymes, chief operating officer, BOK Financial
Paying it forward
Seventeen years ago, Becky Keesling was a young mother, juggling the demands of two small children and an ambitious career. Kymes hired her as corporate audit senior manager—on a reduced schedule—and years later encouraged Keesling to pursue her current role of chief auditor.
"It was the best of both worlds to have time with my kids when they were little," she said. "People don't think you can be a manager and continue to progress in your career if you're working on a reduced schedule, but Stacy didn't share that view—he made it possible.
"I don't think I'd be in this seat today if I hadn't had that opportunity."
Kymes was interested in business from a young age and gravitated toward financial services as a student at Harding University. After graduation, he worked in public accounting and joined BOK Financial as an auditor in 1996.
"It doesn't feel that long ago. There are days I feel like that 25-year-old, and I still have some of those same mindsets from when I started," he said.
Professional development and internal mobility at BOK Financial are fueled by mentorships that provide steady guidance toward success, and Kymes is grateful for the mentors who took him under their wing.
"I'm a better leader because of the people I've learned from in my career, and I want to pay it forward," he said.
He advises younger employees to view relationships as a buffet of resources.
"If there are things you don't like or that don't fit your personality, leave that on the buffet, but take the effective parts of others' styles with you and allow those pieces to help you grow and develop professionally," he advises.
Rallying the team
BOK Financial was a $4 billion bank when Kymes arrived in the mid-1990s. Today, it is a $47 billion regional financial services company with $92 billion in assets under management and administration.
"It's so much fun to see the growth of the company—how we've evolved and matured and created a top 25 U.S. regional bank that is headquartered in Tulsa," Kymes said. "I attribute that success to our team that rallied and didn't let the myriad of excuses get in the way of doing our job, serving our clients and our community."
“It's so much fun to see the growth of the company—how we've evolved and matured and created a top 25 U.S. regional bank that is headquartered in Tulsa," Kymes said. "I attribute that success to our team that rallied and didn't let the myriad of excuses get in the way of doing our job, serving our clients and our community.”
Kymes has high hopes for the company's continued prosperity in the future, but he's quick to mention that the work behind the scenes is just as essential as what makes headlines.
"The business that people don't see, in the background, is key—if we don't do that right, there's not going to be anything to sell, and customer service will be poor," he said. "You have to appreciate everyone on the team. Every role is important."
A father of two and married to his high school sweetheart, Kymes loves a good spy novel or presidential biography and has recently taken up tennis.
His tenure as a BOK Financial executive has involved participation in important civic and economic development projects such as the construction of ONEOK Field and the revitalization of the Tulsa Zoo.
His humble nature and smart business sense have earned him much-deserved respect among BOK Financial employees, including Coy Gallatin, director of energy financial services.
"He's dependable. He's got your back, and he's very capable," Gallatin said. "He expects a lot but rightly so. He doesn't play favorites and is one of the fairest people I've ever come across when managing business."
Top photo caption: Kymes is a life-long Houston Astros fan and had the opportunity to throw out a first pitch in 2017, which coincidentally ended up being a season that the team went on to win the World Series.
. © 2024 BOKF, NA.