Bank of America: Shaping Our Future Leaders

By: MENTOR

Corporate Engagement

Bank of America, a leader in multinational banking and financial services, is committed to helping communities grow and thrive.  Our spotlight features Doris Gibson, a VP, Program Manager at Bank of America, President of the Charlotte Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, and a dedicated volunteer for Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT).  Doris talked to MENTOR about Bank of America’s philanthropic efforts, the importance of mentoring, and her volunteer work with Leaders of Tomorrow.

 

Doris Gibson

Doris Gibson

Q: How does Bank of America encourage or support employees to serve?

Bank of America is passionate about volunteerism and philanthropy and provides numerous opportunities for its employees to serve the community.  The bank supports employees using their professional skills to assist nonprofits with legal pro-bono work, financial literacy, professional development and IT assistance.  Additionally, the bank encourages employee volunteering by providing employees up to two hours off each week to serve the community.  The bank also provides Matching Gifts and Volunteer Grants programs.

 

Q: How were you matched with The Leaders of Tomorrow Program? What drew you to it?

The Leaders of Tomorrow program is a component of the National Black MBA Association, a professional development organization aimed at assisting students in becoming strong future leaders.  The program matches mentors with high school students to coach them in college preparation, academic success, leadership, public speaking, social engagement, networking, and goal setting to develop discipline, achieve high academic standards, and implement ways to serve their communities.

I became interested in LOT when I started attending the working sessions and began to fully understand the program.  Like me, the students and their parents were amazed at the opportunities of exposure that are available to prepare for college.  Since I have a business background, I wanted to participate in helping our future leaders understand the importance of continual educational development, enhanced leadership skills and effective communication, which are all essential to professional success.  I have served in various capacities with the organization over the last nine years, which most recently includes serving as the Charlotte Chapter President for the last four years.

 

Q: Why is mentoring important to you?

Mentoring  provides a way for me to give back to the community through the rewarding experience of engaging with our high school students.  Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to assist our young leaders with understanding the importance of a healthy self-image, a positive personal brand and community service.

 

Q: What have you learned from the students you work with?

The most important thing the students taught me is to always have enthusiasm for learning and exposing yourself to new opportunities.  I was greatly impressed watching these sometimes shy high school students participate in a Business Case Competition at Ohio State University.  This included understanding a business case (in this instance, identifying future consumers for Harley-Davidson) and then analyzing and documenting a college level business plan to present before a panel of judges.

 

Q: What is your favorite mentoring story?

One of my favorite stories of our mentees is one of courage.  The organization participates in annual conferences across the US. This particular conference was one where Magic Johnson was a Key Note speaker before a room of hundreds of participants.  Of course, Mr. Johnson was speaking on the importance of networking and partnerships to maintain a successful business.  During the Q&A session, one of our students asked Magic about an opportunity to intern at his corporation.  Mr. Johnson was so impressed he called him out of the crowd, posed for a photo and gave him his personal business card so that they could connect.  I am so proud of this young man: he understands the importance of seizing the moment when the opportunity presents itself.

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Say Hello at the Summit! Bank of America has once again shown its support for the 2017 National Mentoring Summit as a Lead Sponsor and several representatives will be in attendance.

Learn more: Click here to learn more about Bank of America’s commitment to advancing pathways to economic mobility in order to build thriving communities.

 

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