May 11, 2025 • 12 mins
We spoke with President and CEO Nick Caplanson, Chief Operating Officer Nick Statoulas and Creative Director Chris Boyle discuss hiring people with different backgrounds, and not just a a banking background at Dime Bank.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to iHeart Communities. I'm
Alison Demurz. My guest today is President and CEO of
Dime Bank, Nick Kaplinson and also Chief operating Officer nixt
To Toulis.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, gentlemen, Good morning Alison.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Thanks for having us today.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Tell me what's new and welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Well, thank you. It's great to be here.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
The spring is certainly here, the weather's great. Things are very,
very busy for Dime Bank, and as we've talked about
over many months, we've branched into the greater Hartford market
that is going extremely well for us. We're doing a
lot of lending this year, a lot of commercial slash
business customers taking advantage.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Of our offerings.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
We're opening a lot of new checking and savings accounts.
It seems like consumers are gravitating back to the things
that they know they trust. With all the uncertainty in
the economy and everything else, they're coming to Dine Bank
for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
We're having an unbelievably busy year and.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
That is a reflection of who all of you are.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
It is and we love to build relationships with our customers.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
That's what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
It's not about the transactions, it's about the relationships over
a long period of time and the trust that is
developed between the customer and the bank.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Absolutely, it speaks volumes about all of your characters. I
wanted to talk a little bit today about a trend.
You mentioned in one of our last conversations that the
bank was having success hiring people to dime who don't
come from a traditional banking background.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So how has that been going.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It's been going incredibly well.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
I attend the orientation sessions for all of our new
employees on a regular basis, and I always ask the question,
how many of you have a banking background and how
many of you came from another industry?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
And I can tell.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
You honestly, and this is going back the last couple
of years. It's been at least half the people we're
hiring right now have never worked at a bank before.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
So it is a growing trend.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I think it's reflective of the marketplace for new employees.
We've got to hire and train people from other industries
as long as they possess the skill sets that are
needed in helping customers and building relationships. In some cases,
more technical backgrounds like technology or you know, other areas.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Of the bank.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
But it's going exceptionally well in terms of attracting people
from outside the banking industry, which is very different from
when I started in banking several decades ago. Most people
had banking backgrounds. Everybody looked the same, acted the same,
said the same things. It's a different world today, thankfully,
(02:56):
and I think it's really beneficial for us as a
bank and also industry in general.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Because they bring a little different something they do.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
They bring a different perspective, a different way of thinking.
They help us solve problems in a new and different
way than what we traditionally thought was appropriate. It's just,
I think, a good reflection of a more diverse society
and a more diverse workforce.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It's wonderful because you do so much work with the community,
and now you're bringing in different people with different backgrounds
in the community working for you, not just banking.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Absolutely, and I think you know, we're going to spend
a couple of minutes today. I'll introduce one of our
employees who is not a banker, and we'll talk about
that a little bit more too.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
First, I want to speak with Nix to toolis you're currently
the head of the retail network at Dime, and you've
seen this trend throughout your branches as well. What types
of backgrounds are people coming from who've had success in
retail at time?
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Yeahson, As Nick mentioned, we are faced with a much
more diverse pool of applicants. We've had success with people
coming over to us from the hospitality industry. We've had
folks that have been in sales, either through say cell
phone sales or furniture sales, have come to bank and
they haven't had that financial services background, but that people
(04:19):
building skill, that opportunity to connect with clientele, ask them
appropriate questions, identify a need, and offer a solution really
translates across multiple business lines. So we found an incredible
amount of success in onboarding folks that maybe haven't had
that traditional banking background, but come to Dine Bank and
we'll train them and largely as attitude. Somebody comes with
(04:42):
the right attitude, a willingness to help our client tell
that will translate to success.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That is wonderful, Nick Kaplinson. I see you've brought along
what are your colleagues, as you mentioned earlier, who's a
shining example of what we've been talking about who have
you brought with you today?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
So we have our creative director Chris Boyle, who's with
us today, who I think really represents everything we're touching on.
Chris is not a banker. Chris is I refer to
him as a creative genius. He has done tremendous work
for us in our marketing area.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He's helped publish our annual.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Report, He's done all sorts of projects that are part
of who we are and the culture of the bank.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But he's not a financial guy, and he's not a banker.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
So Chris is with us and I think is a
great example of what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Well, welcome, thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Can you share a bit about your journey to joining
the bank and how your background differs from the typical
banking path.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Absolutely so. I don't have a background in finance. I've
always been an artist. I've always been wanting to work
in the illustration art fields, and when I was younger,
someone had pulled me aside and said, if you don't
want to pursue this, you should look into a career
in graphic design because you can find a way to
practicalize your creativity and get work in something a little
(06:02):
more stable, and today I work both in illustration and
graphic design, and there's so many of those skills that
transferred over to DIME. I graduated from through Rivers Community
College with my associate's degree and just kind of from
there went directly into the workforce, just wanted to see
what I could do. In twenty twenty three, I started
at Dime and the position has grown a lot with me,
(06:24):
and it's been a company that has been so supportive
of me and my creative endeavors, both in and outside
of the bank, and saw a lot of value in
what I brought to the table.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So you like it.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's a great place to work.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
Isn't it.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
Sortive staff and they're, you know, such great people to
work for.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So you have experience in writing, You've even published a
children's book.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
How does this help in your role at the bank?
Speaker 6 (06:47):
I always say that I'm a creative director by day
and a writer and artist by night, but there's a
lot of overlap with those two things. There's a lot
of skills that can transfer one to the other, and
I'm never just in one field. I work in a
really great supportive marketing team that I've been able to
kind of learn from so all these back ends of
(07:09):
how to do your own thing, run your own business,
all the finance, business development, networking, all these skills have
been able to learn through Dime and kind of find
areas in my personal work that I can transfer it to.
And I do a lot of illustration work for the
bank as well. We have a lot of unique marketing
materials that I think set us apart, and it's really
(07:33):
interesting to be able to bring a different perspective into
those things.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
What is the name of your children's book?
Speaker 6 (07:38):
Although although it's a book about a crow that gets
lost in a storm and has to find his way
back to his family with the.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Help of a bat, really that sounds wonderful. Thank you
so much so, Nick Kaplinson. What can we expect now
from Dimebank. I mean, you're doing everything you possibly can.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, we are on a path of a long term
sustainability of utilizing this business.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Model, Alison.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I mean we've been committed to it for over one
hundred and fifty years, keeping it simple, supporting our communities,
offering the basic products and services that are customer based needs,
and again forming relationships. And I can't emphasize that enough,
especially in this environment where you know, I'm sure a
(08:28):
lot of your listeners will you know, relate to you know,
you're calling a larger company, a larger bank, you get
a computerized system, you can't talk to a person, you
get caught in a loop.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Part of that is is just the way technology is going,
and every bank uses technology, but we are very sensitive
to that personal touch.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So you will always be able.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To talk to somebody at Dime Bank, whether you call
a branch, you call our call center, you will be
talking to a live human being that's going to help you.
And in most cases, our customers know our employees at
least you know a handful of them that they've worked
with over time. And our new customers, particularly here in
(09:16):
Greater Hartford, are dealing with seasoned banking professionals that have
lived and worked in Greater Hartford. We're not a Norwich
based bank that is sending Norwich people into Greater Hartford.
Our folks have lived here, worked here and have relationships
with a lot of community members, a lot of potential customers,
(09:40):
and that's really working.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So that's our strategy, that's our path.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
It's to continue growing the bank. It's to continue remaining
independent and keeping it simple, keeping it basic, doing what
people appreciate.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Absolutely, it's true.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
I've been interviewed you now for almost a year and
all of the different workers and their knowledgeable, good, kind
hearted people, super likable. It's wonderful. Anybody who would like
more information go to dime dash bank dot com. I'm
speaking with President and CEO Nick Kaplinson, Chief operating Officer
(10:20):
Nix Totolis, and now our creative director Chris Boil from Dimebank.
Thank you all for being here and for serving the
community the way that you do.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Thank you much.
Speaker 8 (10:30):
As The Ocean River Institute provides individuals around the world
with specific opportunities to make a difference in saving wildlife,
protecting ecosystems in environmental education, science, and conservation. The nonprofit
practices collaborative environmental subsidiarity to assist groups closest to wildlife
and natural areas, and to educate and advance ecosystem based
(10:50):
adaptive management with increased public participation. Please visit Oceanriver dot
org for more information and resources to help individuals and
grassroots groups to make a different for savvy stewardship of
a greener and bluer planet Earth.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
Cardiovascular disease is Connecticut's number one killer, claiming more than
seven thousand lives each year. Start living healthier and take
the first step to a longer, stronger life. Bring family
and friends to the American Heart Association's Greater New Haven
Heartwalk on Sunday, May fourth, at Lighthouse Point Park at
nine am. Raise funds to fight cardiovascular disease and stroke
(11:26):
while having fun and getting fit. For information or to register,
go to new Havenheartwalk dot org. That's new Havenheartwalk dot org.
Speaker 9 (11:36):
I have osteoporosis, but I know I can manage my
bone health every single day. Osteoporosis is a disease that
makes bones weak and more likely to break, but you
can manage it. Eat a healthy diet, including calcium and
vitamin D, regular exercise, and talk to a healthcare provider
about treatment To keep your bone strong. Learn how to
(11:57):
start on your own path to good bone health. Get
bone health tips at pastdogodbonehealth dot org.
Good morning, Thank you for listening to iHeart Communities. I'm
Alison Demurz. My guest today is President and CEO of
Dime Bank, Nick Kaplinson and also Chief operating Officer nixt
To Toulis.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, gentlemen, Good morning Alison.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Thanks for having us today.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Tell me what's new and welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Well, thank you. It's great to be here.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
The spring is certainly here, the weather's great. Things are very,
very busy for Dime Bank, and as we've talked about
over many months, we've branched into the greater Hartford market
that is going extremely well for us. We're doing a
lot of lending this year, a lot of commercial slash
business customers taking advantage.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Of our offerings.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
We're opening a lot of new checking and savings accounts.
It seems like consumers are gravitating back to the things
that they know they trust. With all the uncertainty in
the economy and everything else, they're coming to Dine Bank
for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
We're having an unbelievably busy year and.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
That is a reflection of who all of you are.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
It is and we love to build relationships with our customers.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
That's what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
It's not about the transactions, it's about the relationships over
a long period of time and the trust that is
developed between the customer and the bank.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Absolutely, it speaks volumes about all of your characters. I
wanted to talk a little bit today about a trend.
You mentioned in one of our last conversations that the
bank was having success hiring people to dime who don't
come from a traditional banking background.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So how has that been going.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It's been going incredibly well.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
I attend the orientation sessions for all of our new
employees on a regular basis, and I always ask the question,
how many of you have a banking background and how
many of you came from another industry?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
And I can tell.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
You honestly, and this is going back the last couple
of years. It's been at least half the people we're
hiring right now have never worked at a bank before.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
So it is a growing trend.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I think it's reflective of the marketplace for new employees.
We've got to hire and train people from other industries
as long as they possess the skill sets that are
needed in helping customers and building relationships. In some cases,
more technical backgrounds like technology or you know, other areas.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Of the bank.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
But it's going exceptionally well in terms of attracting people
from outside the banking industry, which is very different from
when I started in banking several decades ago. Most people
had banking backgrounds. Everybody looked the same, acted the same,
said the same things. It's a different world today, thankfully,
(02:56):
and I think it's really beneficial for us as a
bank and also industry in general.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Because they bring a little different something they do.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
They bring a different perspective, a different way of thinking.
They help us solve problems in a new and different
way than what we traditionally thought was appropriate. It's just,
I think, a good reflection of a more diverse society
and a more diverse workforce.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It's wonderful because you do so much work with the community,
and now you're bringing in different people with different backgrounds
in the community working for you, not just banking.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Absolutely, and I think you know, we're going to spend
a couple of minutes today. I'll introduce one of our
employees who is not a banker, and we'll talk about
that a little bit more too.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
First, I want to speak with Nix to toolis you're currently
the head of the retail network at Dime, and you've
seen this trend throughout your branches as well. What types
of backgrounds are people coming from who've had success in
retail at time?
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Yeahson, As Nick mentioned, we are faced with a much
more diverse pool of applicants. We've had success with people
coming over to us from the hospitality industry. We've had
folks that have been in sales, either through say cell
phone sales or furniture sales, have come to bank and
they haven't had that financial services background, but that people
(04:19):
building skill, that opportunity to connect with clientele, ask them
appropriate questions, identify a need, and offer a solution really
translates across multiple business lines. So we found an incredible
amount of success in onboarding folks that maybe haven't had
that traditional banking background, but come to Dine Bank and
we'll train them and largely as attitude. Somebody comes with
(04:42):
the right attitude, a willingness to help our client tell
that will translate to success.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That is wonderful, Nick Kaplinson. I see you've brought along
what are your colleagues, as you mentioned earlier, who's a
shining example of what we've been talking about who have
you brought with you today?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
So we have our creative director Chris Boyle, who's with
us today, who I think really represents everything we're touching on.
Chris is not a banker. Chris is I refer to
him as a creative genius. He has done tremendous work
for us in our marketing area.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He's helped publish our annual.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Report, He's done all sorts of projects that are part
of who we are and the culture of the bank.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But he's not a financial guy, and he's not a banker.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
So Chris is with us and I think is a
great example of what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Well, welcome, thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Can you share a bit about your journey to joining
the bank and how your background differs from the typical
banking path.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Absolutely so. I don't have a background in finance. I've
always been an artist. I've always been wanting to work
in the illustration art fields, and when I was younger,
someone had pulled me aside and said, if you don't
want to pursue this, you should look into a career
in graphic design because you can find a way to
practicalize your creativity and get work in something a little
(06:02):
more stable, and today I work both in illustration and
graphic design, and there's so many of those skills that
transferred over to DIME. I graduated from through Rivers Community
College with my associate's degree and just kind of from
there went directly into the workforce, just wanted to see
what I could do. In twenty twenty three, I started
at Dime and the position has grown a lot with me,
(06:24):
and it's been a company that has been so supportive
of me and my creative endeavors, both in and outside
of the bank, and saw a lot of value in
what I brought to the table.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So you like it.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's a great place to work.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
Isn't it.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
Sortive staff and they're, you know, such great people to
work for.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So you have experience in writing, You've even published a
children's book.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
How does this help in your role at the bank?
Speaker 6 (06:47):
I always say that I'm a creative director by day
and a writer and artist by night, but there's a
lot of overlap with those two things. There's a lot
of skills that can transfer one to the other, and
I'm never just in one field. I work in a
really great supportive marketing team that I've been able to
kind of learn from so all these back ends of
(07:09):
how to do your own thing, run your own business,
all the finance, business development, networking, all these skills have
been able to learn through Dime and kind of find
areas in my personal work that I can transfer it to.
And I do a lot of illustration work for the
bank as well. We have a lot of unique marketing
materials that I think set us apart, and it's really
(07:33):
interesting to be able to bring a different perspective into
those things.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
What is the name of your children's book?
Speaker 6 (07:38):
Although although it's a book about a crow that gets
lost in a storm and has to find his way
back to his family with the.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Help of a bat, really that sounds wonderful. Thank you
so much so, Nick Kaplinson. What can we expect now
from Dimebank. I mean, you're doing everything you possibly can.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, we are on a path of a long term
sustainability of utilizing this business.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Model, Alison.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I mean we've been committed to it for over one
hundred and fifty years, keeping it simple, supporting our communities,
offering the basic products and services that are customer based needs,
and again forming relationships. And I can't emphasize that enough,
especially in this environment where you know, I'm sure a
(08:28):
lot of your listeners will you know, relate to you know,
you're calling a larger company, a larger bank, you get
a computerized system, you can't talk to a person, you
get caught in a loop.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Part of that is is just the way technology is going,
and every bank uses technology, but we are very sensitive
to that personal touch.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So you will always be able.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To talk to somebody at Dime Bank, whether you call
a branch, you call our call center, you will be
talking to a live human being that's going to help you.
And in most cases, our customers know our employees at
least you know a handful of them that they've worked
with over time. And our new customers, particularly here in
(09:16):
Greater Hartford, are dealing with seasoned banking professionals that have
lived and worked in Greater Hartford. We're not a Norwich
based bank that is sending Norwich people into Greater Hartford.
Our folks have lived here, worked here and have relationships
with a lot of community members, a lot of potential customers,
(09:40):
and that's really working.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So that's our strategy, that's our path.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
It's to continue growing the bank. It's to continue remaining
independent and keeping it simple, keeping it basic, doing what
people appreciate.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Absolutely, it's true.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
I've been interviewed you now for almost a year and
all of the different workers and their knowledgeable, good, kind
hearted people, super likable. It's wonderful. Anybody who would like
more information go to dime dash bank dot com. I'm
speaking with President and CEO Nick Kaplinson, Chief operating Officer
(10:20):
Nix Totolis, and now our creative director Chris Boil from Dimebank.
Thank you all for being here and for serving the
community the way that you do.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Thank you much.
Speaker 8 (10:30):
As The Ocean River Institute provides individuals around the world
with specific opportunities to make a difference in saving wildlife,
protecting ecosystems in environmental education, science, and conservation. The nonprofit
practices collaborative environmental subsidiarity to assist groups closest to wildlife
and natural areas, and to educate and advance ecosystem based
(10:50):
adaptive management with increased public participation. Please visit Oceanriver dot
org for more information and resources to help individuals and
grassroots groups to make a different for savvy stewardship of
a greener and bluer planet Earth.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
Cardiovascular disease is Connecticut's number one killer, claiming more than
seven thousand lives each year. Start living healthier and take
the first step to a longer, stronger life. Bring family
and friends to the American Heart Association's Greater New Haven
Heartwalk on Sunday, May fourth, at Lighthouse Point Park at
nine am. Raise funds to fight cardiovascular disease and stroke
(11:26):
while having fun and getting fit. For information or to register,
go to new Havenheartwalk dot org. That's new Havenheartwalk dot org.
Speaker 9 (11:36):
I have osteoporosis, but I know I can manage my
bone health every single day. Osteoporosis is a disease that
makes bones weak and more likely to break, but you
can manage it. Eat a healthy diet, including calcium and
vitamin D, regular exercise, and talk to a healthcare provider
about treatment To keep your bone strong. Learn how to
(11:57):
start on your own path to good bone health. Get
bone health tips at pastdogodbonehealth dot org.
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