May 6, 2024 • 6 mins
Paul Corvino speaks with CEO of F&M Bank, Henry Walker, this week on Southern California's CEOs You Should Know.
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(00:01):
This is CEOs you should know.And now from iHeartMedia, here's Paul Corvino.
Today I have the honor of talkingwith Henry Walker, the CEO of
Farmers and Merchant Bank that is overtwelve billion in assets and twenty seven banking
offices from San Clemente to Santa Barbara. Welcome, Henry. Oh, good
to be here, Paul. Beforewe get going, what I like to
(00:24):
do is a little quick, rapidfire question where you answer in less than
a second, first thing that comesto your mind, just to get our
mouths and tongues and brains ready totalk. We'll try it. Okay,
summer or winter winter, skier,beach vacation ski, Tom Brady or Michael
Jordan, Tom Brady Star Wars withthe Godfather, Godfather Sean Connery or Daniel
(00:49):
Craig. Sean Connery, celebrity thatpeople say you remind them of Harrison Ford.
I could see that younger Harrison Ford. Yeah, well we're raging.
Let me just tell you a littlebit about Henry. He serves as a
Chief executive officer of Farmers and MerchantBank. As a fourth generation Walker family
banker. He officially began his careerwith F and M Bank in nineteen eighty
(01:11):
seven. He first served with thebank when he was sixteen years old,
delivering gingerbread to the branches at Christmastime, which was a family tradition.
But tell us a little bit moreabout you first started with that first job
that we just talked about, andhow from there you wound up building this
to a bank with twelve billion inassets in twenty seven locations. You know,
(01:36):
it's been a good journey. AndI always like to say I'm a
fifth generation Californian, a fourth generationbanker, and we've been privileged to do
business new banking right here in southernCalifornia since nineteen oh seven. And we
talked a little bit about the heritage, a little bit about delivering gingerbread that
goes back that was a my greatgrandmother was a was a German, and
(02:00):
those were German traditions wassle and gingerbread, and so we still carry those traditions
today. But you know, myfather wanted to keep a sixteen year old
busy during Christmas time and not havingsitting around. So it's interesting when I
think of the bank from what I'vebeen reading and hearing, the first thing
I think of is family values offamily Bank and George from It's a wonderful
(02:22):
life. Don't get me going onwonderful life. You know, that's a
tough one, right because George's bankdidn't do too well now, but he
came back though, and they builtit after that, you know, but
it was community, and it wasa community deposits in the backing of the
deposits of a community. And maybethat's a good takeaway for a wonderful life.
(02:43):
So tell us a little more aboutthe bank and the mission of the
bank and where you see the bankgoing in the future. You know,
the bank is just well established righthere in Los Angeles and Orange County with
one office up in Santa Barbara.And you know, we continue to like
this space. You know, Laand Orange County as a GDP as a
commerce is thirteenth largest in the world. They say it's bigger than all of
(03:06):
Italy. So I can have allof Italy or I'll take LA and Orange
County and I'll take La and OrangeCounty. And it's such a dynamic place.
And you know, we have beenblessed to actually have our roots here.
And you know that's a long familystory, but This is where we
want to be and we don't needto be really anywhere else but La and
(03:27):
Orange County, and our focus ison these communities, these communities of people,
these businesses. This is where welike to be and we're committed to
it. And I know that you'revery involved in the communities that you serve.
Can you talk a little bit aboutsome of what you do within for
the community. As we identify witheach city that we're in, we look
(03:50):
to where are the strong points ofcommunity involvement, the charities, the places
of faith. These are all thingsthat are are very important to the culture
of farmers and merchants. Bank.It is a part of our philosophy to
continue to give back and to buildcommunities. You've got twenty seven locations and
(04:12):
banks still have locations. How muchof the banking business is done online as
opposed to coming into the bank thesedays, I can't. I still like
to go to the bank, andmy wife laughs at me because I have
to put that check in the actualdeposit atm machine or give it to a
teller when she just scans it andputs it online. We love the customers
(04:38):
that still want to come in.I'd suggest a third of the customers come
in these days, and every contactpoint is an opportunity for service, and
so we enjoy that. We thinkwe have the right amount of branches.
We're not over branched, we're notunder branched. But with technology and yeah,
and we were able to be alittle more nimble with our technology than
(04:59):
some of the large banks. Youknow, we're able to serve at both
that technology level and at the personallevel. Tell me, if you're a
young man twenty one years old startingout, you want to get in the
banking business and you want to getto a position where you're at what advice
would you give that young person.It's an interesting career. And when my
(05:23):
father, my father didn't make mego into banking by any means, but
his perspective was it's a good,clean living, it's an honorable living,
and you're able to do some goodalong the way. It is an education
in all different types of business,including the business of banking, and to
(05:45):
become a real good banker, itdoes take years of experience because you do
get a sixth synh on what's goingon in the marketplace and an intellectual curiosity.
But it is time well spent andit's a good career, sure is.
Tell us. So how can ourlisteners if they want to do business
with your bank, what's the bestway to either contact you with a website
(06:09):
or location tea. Yeah, youknow, of course. Our website is
fs and Farmers am As the Merchantsb as In Bank dot com FMB dot
com one of the few that haveh you know, just three digits on
the dot com, so we're proudof that. Find one of our locations.
Come on in and we'll set youup again. We're talking with Henry
(06:29):
Walker from Farmers In Merchant Bank andwe thank you Henry for coming on.
We look forward to hearing more fromyou and again give that website one more
time so that our customers nowhere togo FMB dot com. Thank you,
Henry, Thank you Paul.
This is CEOs you should know.And now from iHeartMedia, here's Paul Corvino.
Today I have the honor of talkingwith Henry Walker, the CEO of
Farmers and Merchant Bank that is overtwelve billion in assets and twenty seven banking
offices from San Clemente to Santa Barbara. Welcome, Henry. Oh, good
to be here, Paul. Beforewe get going, what I like to
(00:24):
do is a little quick, rapidfire question where you answer in less than
a second, first thing that comesto your mind, just to get our
mouths and tongues and brains ready totalk. We'll try it. Okay,
summer or winter winter, skier,beach vacation ski, Tom Brady or Michael
Jordan, Tom Brady Star Wars withthe Godfather, Godfather Sean Connery or Daniel
(00:49):
Craig. Sean Connery, celebrity thatpeople say you remind them of Harrison Ford.
I could see that younger Harrison Ford. Yeah, well we're raging.
Let me just tell you a littlebit about Henry. He serves as a
Chief executive officer of Farmers and MerchantBank. As a fourth generation Walker family
banker. He officially began his careerwith F and M Bank in nineteen eighty
(01:11):
seven. He first served with thebank when he was sixteen years old,
delivering gingerbread to the branches at Christmastime, which was a family tradition.
But tell us a little bit moreabout you first started with that first job
that we just talked about, andhow from there you wound up building this
to a bank with twelve billion inassets in twenty seven locations. You know,
(01:36):
it's been a good journey. AndI always like to say I'm a
fifth generation Californian, a fourth generationbanker, and we've been privileged to do
business new banking right here in southernCalifornia since nineteen oh seven. And we
talked a little bit about the heritage, a little bit about delivering gingerbread that
goes back that was a my greatgrandmother was a was a German, and
(02:00):
those were German traditions wassle and gingerbread, and so we still carry those traditions
today. But you know, myfather wanted to keep a sixteen year old
busy during Christmas time and not havingsitting around. So it's interesting when I
think of the bank from what I'vebeen reading and hearing, the first thing
I think of is family values offamily Bank and George from It's a wonderful
(02:22):
life. Don't get me going onwonderful life. You know, that's a
tough one, right because George's bankdidn't do too well now, but he
came back though, and they builtit after that, you know, but
it was community, and it wasa community deposits in the backing of the
deposits of a community. And maybethat's a good takeaway for a wonderful life.
(02:43):
So tell us a little more aboutthe bank and the mission of the
bank and where you see the bankgoing in the future. You know,
the bank is just well established righthere in Los Angeles and Orange County with
one office up in Santa Barbara.And you know, we continue to like
this space. You know, Laand Orange County as a GDP as a
commerce is thirteenth largest in the world. They say it's bigger than all of
(03:06):
Italy. So I can have allof Italy or I'll take LA and Orange
County and I'll take La and OrangeCounty. And it's such a dynamic place.
And you know, we have beenblessed to actually have our roots here.
And you know that's a long familystory, but This is where we
want to be and we don't needto be really anywhere else but La and
(03:27):
Orange County, and our focus ison these communities, these communities of people,
these businesses. This is where welike to be and we're committed to
it. And I know that you'revery involved in the communities that you serve.
Can you talk a little bit aboutsome of what you do within for
the community. As we identify witheach city that we're in, we look
(03:50):
to where are the strong points ofcommunity involvement, the charities, the places
of faith. These are all thingsthat are are very important to the culture
of farmers and merchants. Bank.It is a part of our philosophy to
continue to give back and to buildcommunities. You've got twenty seven locations and
(04:12):
banks still have locations. How muchof the banking business is done online as
opposed to coming into the bank thesedays, I can't. I still like
to go to the bank, andmy wife laughs at me because I have
to put that check in the actualdeposit atm machine or give it to a
teller when she just scans it andputs it online. We love the customers
(04:38):
that still want to come in.I'd suggest a third of the customers come
in these days, and every contactpoint is an opportunity for service, and
so we enjoy that. We thinkwe have the right amount of branches.
We're not over branched, we're notunder branched. But with technology and yeah,
and we were able to be alittle more nimble with our technology than
(04:59):
some of the large banks. Youknow, we're able to serve at both
that technology level and at the personallevel. Tell me, if you're a
young man twenty one years old startingout, you want to get in the
banking business and you want to getto a position where you're at what advice
would you give that young person.It's an interesting career. And when my
(05:23):
father, my father didn't make mego into banking by any means, but
his perspective was it's a good,clean living, it's an honorable living,
and you're able to do some goodalong the way. It is an education
in all different types of business,including the business of banking, and to
(05:45):
become a real good banker, itdoes take years of experience because you do
get a sixth synh on what's goingon in the marketplace and an intellectual curiosity.
But it is time well spent andit's a good career, sure is.
Tell us. So how can ourlisteners if they want to do business
with your bank, what's the bestway to either contact you with a website
(06:09):
or location tea. Yeah, youknow, of course. Our website is
fs and Farmers am As the Merchantsb as In Bank dot com FMB dot
com one of the few that haveh you know, just three digits on
the dot com, so we're proudof that. Find one of our locations.
Come on in and we'll set youup again. We're talking with Henry
(06:29):
Walker from Farmers In Merchant Bank andwe thank you Henry for coming on.
We look forward to hearing more fromyou and again give that website one more
time so that our customers nowhere togo FMB dot com. Thank you,
Henry, Thank you Paul.
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