Best Places to Work 2014: Wells Fargo

If a bank can be a cause, Wells Fargo might be that cause.

“Some people say that loyalty to a company is a thing of the past,” according to Greg Morgan, president of the North Bay market of Wells Fargo. “We don’t believe that. People naturally aspire to a larger purpose beyond just themselves. They want to believe in their company and the good it can do.”

“It can come across as a little over the top,” Mr. Morgan said, “but if we’re doing what’s right for the customer, putting the customer first, at the end of the day, we help them, they do better, the company does better.”

His aim is to inspire, through his leadership, all 923 employees in the North Bay, and to have them participate in the community. “It’s not that you have a halo over your head, it’s common sense,” Mr. Morgan said. “When our customers succeed, we all win.” He relies on the culture of the company to spread core values. “It has been consistent messaging,” he said. Mr. Morgan started with the bank about 26 years ago.

Wells Fargo has about 265,000 total employees working in 39 states, according to bank spokesman Ruben Pulido. “It’s huge,” Mr. Morgan said.

Wells Fargo has 50 to 100 people in Napa affected by the earthquake. “Our Napa main branch was red-tagged,” he said. He expected to reopen the branch, located in a historic building, in about a week. “We lost a lot of plaster,” he said, but structurally the building was sound.

“When our people are in the right jobs, spending time on the right things, leading well, feeling good about their contributions, fully using their skills and learning new ones, and having fun-they’ll do what’s right for the customer,” he said.

Satisfied staff members lead to happy customers, bank profits and happy shareholders.

People fulfill the promise behind the Wells Fargo brand, according to Mr. Morgan, who spends most of his time in the Santa Rosa office, and some time in Marin, “people who are more talented, more motivated, more energized than their competitors.”

“We try to find out what drives everybody,” Mr. Morgan said, both personally and professionally. “What excites them? Why do they work as hard as they do? What are their goals, for themselves, their families? We make sure that their business goals don’t conflict. I make sure I can help them get to where they want to be.”

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