Leslie Slover leads a global company’s very big presence in Jacksonville.
Slover is the regional head of Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville and Cary, N.C. The Jacksonville office opened in 2008 and has grown to almost 2,000 employees on the Southside.
Slover, 51, joined Germany-based Deutsche Bank in 1997 and moved to Jacksonville in 2014. Along with leading the Jacksonville expansion, she also sits on boards, including the JAX Chamber and the trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.
A native of New Jersey and the youngest of five children, she graduated from Douglass College of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics.
She worked with Drexel Burnham Lambert and Goldman Sachs before joining Deutsche Bank.
How large is Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville? And why Jacksonville?
Today we are approximately 1,700-plus employees, making Jacksonville Deutsche Bank’s second largest office in the U.S., with New York being our largest office. We started in 2008 with just 100 employees, so Jacksonville has been a really great growth story for us. The bank chose Jacksonville for a variety of reasons.
The ease of travel to New York, obviously; relatively short commuting options to the office — I think most of our employees have about a 25-minute commute; the mild weather during the winters; and the ability to tap into the talent pool at local universities are among some of the many reasons why DB has chosen Jacksonville.
Deutsche Bank is not a retail bank in Jacksonville. What does the bank do here?
That’s true; we are not a retail bank here in the U.S. We do not have ATMs. Deutsche Bank is a leading global bank.
Jacksonville has evolved from a single function operation center to a multi-divisional regional office, almost like a microcosm of the New York footprint.
Most of the operating businesses and infrastructure functions are here.
The divisions represented are global markets, which is our sales and trading business; our corporate and investment banking, asset management, wealth management, the operations teams that support all of those businesses, global transaction banking, information technology, finance, cybersecurity, compliance, legal, group audit and anti-financial crime. Obviously we have a lot going on.
The company leases at least 350,000 square feet on Southside. It’s along Gate Parkway, not far from the St. Johns Town Center. You will likely employ more than 2,000 employees in the near future. What is the potential in Jacksonville for Deutsche Bank?
We see plenty of potential in Jacksonville. A key element of the bank strategy is to optimize our global footprint and Jacksonville has been critical to this initiative.
In 2015, we announced that we would expand our footprint in Jacksonville by adding 350 jobs by 2018 and have more space at 5201 Gate Parkway to complement our existing footprint at 5022 Gate Parkway.
The decision to lease more space definitely created a more permanent commitment to this location to Northeast Florida and to Jacksonville.
You moved from New York. How do you find the Jacksonville business climate and workforce?
It’s very exciting. It’s changed so much in the two years that I’ve been here. And Deutsche Bank is really thrilled to be part of Jacksonville at this exciting time.
As we‘ve looked to build our presence in Jacksonville we’ve been focused on recruiting and retaining talent and we’ve been very pleased with the talent pool in Jacksonville.
What attracted you to pursue a career in banking and finance?
Before college, I knew I wanted to find a major that would have plenty of job opportunities when I got out in the late ‘80s, and accounting and finance were degree programs where jobs were readily available.
Banking and finance, especially at Deutsche Bank, is incredibly fast-paced. You obviously enjoy that. What motivates you?
The pace of the market and the industry really motivates me. I fell in love with the trading floor from a very early point in my career. I had done profit-and-loss calculations for a trading desk when I was at Drexel.
Although there was email, at the time you had to physically take the profit-and-loss statement over to the trading floor for the trader to sign off. As I got my confidence up and started going to the trading floor more, I just knew I loved it. I was hooked.
I loved the fact that every day was going to be different, that it constantly keeps you on your toes and that you constantly have to react to outside influences.
When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?
I love to golf, so you can see where my decision of coming to Jacksonville was an easy one.
Being able to play year-round has really been exciting, though I have not seen my handicap improve as quickly as I might have hoped.
You volunteer and you encourage your employees to do the same. What are some of the organizations and events the bank supports?
Giving back to the communities in which we operate is very much part of our DNA, whether it’s in the UK, in New York, in Jacksonville and also in Cary.
We find it incredibly important for our employees to get involved and we have been very successful in our efforts down here in Jacksonville.
We really do focus on the arts, education and community as well as finding partners to think about acting sustainably.
Some of our local organizations that we have partnered with have been Generation W, the Girl Scouts, Feeding Northeast Florida, MOCA of Jacksonville and the list goes on and on.
As the leader of almost 2,000 employees, you run a big business. How would you describe your leadership skills?
As my career has progressed and especially in my role today, I’ve recognized the importance of open dialogue. I think this is critical for every level and credit Deutsche Bank’s culture of teamwork for instilling open dialogue across regions, businesses and teams.
In Jacksonville, I’ve instituted an open-door policy between staff and management, and I have regular meetings with staff across the bank and get their feedback.
With open dialogue, I think we can improve the sense of community at DB Jacksonville and connectivity with our peers globally.
What are the challenges in your business?
The banking industry right now does not have a lack of challenges. Over the past few years obviously we’ve had the emergence from the financial crisis. We’ve been managing the regulatory landscape changes, which are many, and truly rebuilding trust with society. So the challenges are many.
How do you respond to those?
I’ve always welcomed challenge, which in turn has helped shaped my career. My experience at Drexel Burnham Lambert very early on, I had only been with the bank three or four years when it went bankrupt, so that was a big experience for me; Y2K, the implementation from a technology perspective; and I’ve helped Deutsche Bank as well during critical times. We’ve gone through quite a bit of change post the crisis. I was the COO responsible for the business footprint during that time. And although challenges can be stressful, they usually result in positive change and it’s exciting to be a part of such a process.
What’s next for you in your career?
There’s still a lot of work to be done here in Jacksonville. As you know we are moving into our new office space. The first phase of two phases begins early next month. In addition, the hiring volume continues and it really hasn’t been a dull moment since I’ve landed here in Jax.
You work a lot with the city as well. What advice or suggestions do you have for city leaders as they continue to recruit national and international companies?
Through my work with the chamber board, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some of those new firms who are considering Jacksonville and we’ve talked a lot about that.
Building the foundation for a footprint in a new location takes time, requires patience, but it’s certainly well worth it. And DB, as I’ve said, is very pleased with the operation here.
What else would you like to share?
To the flip side of my last comment, I would tell those international and national companies how welcoming the community of Jacksonville has been, how accessible everyone has been.
The city is run by an incredible group of people who really go out of their way to make sure that you’re connecting with others. And to have found a home here, I think Deutsche Bank has been very, very lucky.
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