![]() ![]() His father, Malone said, was the inspiration for the values that inform his leadership style. Malone has brought a unique model of leadership and structure of the bank, which he refers to as the “refinery model,” giving authority to branch managers to really run their branch the best way they see fit. “When you walk into any of our branches, one of the personal bankers is going to know your name, they are going to know your family and they are going to provide Sonora’s customers with a great banking experience.” Malone added, “We all offer the same products and solutions as the other banks, but what makes Sonora Bank different and unique is our personalized customer service and our core values,” says Malone. Currently, the bank has seven branches with over $600 million in assets and plans to open another branch in New Braunfels.ĭespite the growth and expansion across the state, the bank remains focused on what is important to small rural communities, especially agriculture, farming and ranching. Over the last century, the board of directors and management have led the bank through a massive strategic expansion. Before the town’s first new bank was finished, it had to operate out of a local dry goods store with about $80,000 in revenue. Sonora Bank has a long history of community service, opening in 1900, just 10 years after the town of Sonora was established. “I told the board I would serve in that role for three months while they conducted a search for a permanent president, and that was over 12 years ago now,” said Malone.Īll these years later, Malone has remained in his position to address the challenges facing community banks and the opportunity to bring a culture of value-based banking to the customers and communities Sonora Bank serves. Shortly thereafter, Malone was asked to become the president of the bank. He saw this invitation as a great opportunity to learn more about banking while hopefully bringing his business and leadership background to help the bank and serve the community. That year, Malone was asked to join the board of directors of the First National Bank of Sonora (dba Sonora Bank). ![]() When he and Diane retired in 2009 to their ranch in Sonora, Malone never envisioned starting a second career in community banking. and the Chairman and President of BP America. Sohio was later purchased by British Petroleum (BP) and after spending another 23 years in the oil and gas industry, he eventually retired with 35 years in the industry as an Executive Vice President of BP plc. Malone said he “woke up one day in the oil and gas industry” after the mining company he was working for was purchased by The Standard Oil Company of Ohio (Sohio). His career took he and his wife Diane across the country to Nevada, New York, Connecticut, Utah and New Mexico throughout his 12 years in the mining industry. Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he earned a Master of Science in Management. In mid-career, he was selected as an Alfred P. This early exposure to mining sparked his interest in mineral processing, leading Malone to get a specialized degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. His first career as an engineer in the mining industry closely followed that of his father’s, a mining engineer who operated iron ore mines in Northeast Texas. Malone’s career is certainly unconventional when compared to other bankers and is firmly grounded on a set of core values instilled by his father, whom Malone calls his inspiration. Now the Chairman, President and CEO of Sonora Bank, this former mining and oil and gas executive has successfully brought some of the skills he learned from these natural resource businesses to the financial industry. Originally from the small Northeast Texas town of Daingerfield, Bob Malone understands the value community banks bring to small and rural communities.
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