Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net
Five former banking buddies are together again, bringing a wealth of industry knowledge to the Fort Worth market. The quintet – Eddie Broussard, Scott Engle, Barry Kromann, Jeff Moten and Randy Rapp –recently reunited at Texas Capital Bank, Fort Worth Region, after starting together in the 1980s at Texas American Bank, which was later acquired by another bank.
Engle, Kromann, Rapp and Moten began their banking careers at Texas American as credit analysts in the bank’s credit training program. Broussard had been with the bank since 1985 and already was a commercial lender. “It was kind of like we were all in the same fraternity pledge class trying to become members,” said Engle, senior vice president at Texas Capital Bank. “We enjoyed doing things together outside of work, as well, which led to lifelong friendships being formed.” The bank failure in the ‘80s was the catalyst for them to go in different career directions, but they remained friends and always enjoyed getting together or running into one another at events around town. “The five of us all developed great camaraderie with each other,” Rapp said. Rapp had joined Texas Capital Bank in 2000 as manager of credit underwriting. He was promoted from a senior vice president to executive vice president in 2007.
“I joined Texas Capital Bank primarily to reconnect with bankers I respected and had worked with earlier in my career,” Rapp said. “Working at Texas Capital Bank has truly been the most rewarding experience of my banking career. We have assembled some of the most talented bankers in the business and grown as fast as almost any bank in the country.” Texas Capital Bank, the primary subsidiary of Texas Capital Bancshares, is a commercial bank that delivers highly personalized financial services to businesses and private clients. The bank was started in 1998 by a group of entrepreneurial bankers who set out to build “the best business bank in Texas.” The bank opened with an initial capitalization of $80 million, the largest in U.S. history at the time. Since then, Texas Capital Bank has grown from a small, private company into one of the largest independent banks in Texas. With headquarters in Dallas, Texas Capital Bank boasts 11 banking locations across the Lone Star State. The Fort Worth branch, located in The Tower in downtown’s Sundance Square, caters to commercial banking for middle-market companies. Kromann has been with Texas Capital Bank since its inception and was promoted to executive vice president in 2009. A part of the Fort Worth banking community since 1987, he is a founding director and past president of the Tarrant County Bankers Association and previously was director of Downtown Fort Worth Inc.
Moten, Fort Worth regional president since 2009, joined Texas Capital in 2005 and served as executive vice president and head of the commercial real estate group. Previously, he worked in commercial and residential real estate in Fort Worth. “One of the primary drivers of our success is the fact that we have grown Texas Capital Bank into one of the most successful banks in the country through organic growth, not acquisition,” Moten said. “That has allowed us to hand-pick each person and that becomes an easy decision when you have a lot of history with someone. The shared experiences, whether it would be paying our dues as analysts or working together to build ‘the best business bank in Texas,’ make us much more effective as a team and ultimately, we can deliver better service to our clients. More than anything, it is just nice to work with great people who happen to be great bankers.” Broussard returned from North Carolina to Fort Worth this year after 14 years working in the wholesale/distribution industry as a chief financial officer. His first call was to his old colleagues who helped build Texas Capital Bank. He joined the bank as senior vice president in August and said he chose the bank because it “values people, relationships and an entrepreneurial spirit.” “It’s great to be back in Fort Worth with my friends and fellow bankers,” he added. Broussard’s first day was like old home week in more ways than one. Texas Capital Bank’s offices are located in the same building where the five friends first met.
“We have laughed and shared stories about the fun we had in our credit training days,” Engle said. The friends said having the history they have together helps make communications easier and gives them a level of trust in each other that comes from knowing each other for a long time. “It didn’t seem to matter how long it had been since we worked together, the transition back together seemed flawless, as no time had passed,” Rapp said. “We have the utmost trust and respect for each other, which translates into a great work environment and quality service delivery to our clients.” Kromann agreed. “It is gratifying to be back working together after these many years. When you have been in the trenches working together through a very difficult business environment, particularly at a very early and impressionable stage of your career, you develop a unique perspective and bond,” he said. “We are very fortunate to not only be able to work together again, but also be in a great industry that is integral to the success of the entire business community.”
Betty Dillard can be reached at bdillard@bizpress.net