1 – Wells Fargo Local Employees: 1,325 Marla Vasquez, Regional President San Fernando Valley Community Bank By ANDREA ALEGRIA Staff Reporter What stands out at Wells Fargo is a culture that encourages growth through mentorship and multiple training programs, promotes diversity, and stimulates communication and interaction across the company’s 80 different lines of business, according to its employees. “At Wells Fargo, we’re not employees we’re team members,” said Marla Vasquez, Regional President San Fernando Valley Community Bank, who oversees 1,300 team members in 39 banking stores. “Team work is one of our core values, and we really promote from within. Many of our team members started as tellers and are now executives.” Vasquez is one of them. Fifteen years ago, coming from a small town of 100 people in Montana, she started at Wells Fargo as a sales associate and also worked as a teller. “Wells Fargo gave me my first opportunity, back when I didn’t know anything about banking and it took me from the bottom to the top,” she said. Wells Fargo’s mentoring programs create a nurturing environment that builds leaders within the organization, she said. Throughout her career, Vasquez always had a mentor at Wells Fargo, helping her focus and identify areas she wanted to work on in order to advance to the next level professionally. “For example, coming from a really small town I was very shy, and speaking in front of a group my voice would shake. So they send me to speech communication class, and to different leadership programs. They taught me about understanding how to run a bank, how to provide ‘wow service’ to customers, how to help provide customers with financial advice,” she said. “Wells Fargo made me into the leader that I am today.” Wells Fargo paid for her brokerage licenses and provided tuition reimbursement for her higher education. They also paid for her attendance to the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management in Virginia every summer for three years. Training and mentoring are very much encouraged at Well Fargo, she emphasized. The company invests millions of dollars each year in training. “All management levels mentor someone within their careers,” said Damien Haitsuka. Vice President and District Manager for West Valley Hills Market, who has been both mentor and mentee. Haitsuka started his career at Wells Fargo 13 years ago. “I started my career as a banker, and with mentoring and coaching I was allowed opportunities to grow rapidly.” The organization, he said, allows you to grow at your own pace and to profit from the variety of business areas within the organization, which are not isolated from one another. “Often businesses can tend to be siloed, but Wells Fargo has a “one Wells Fargo approach”, he said. Employees can network and learn about these business lines that range from retail banking to insurance services, and have an opportunity to explore them professionally. “Because we have so many business lines almost anybody can find something they are passionate about, and the company really gives you that opportunity to pick something you are truly passionate about,” he said. Professional growth is also stimulated by the organization’s focus on diversity, he said. At Wells Fargo, a Diversity Council, composed of 35 team members across the entire region, advises team members on policy and best practices to foster diversity and awareness among other things. Wells Fargo also has team member resource groups, which function like affinity groups (for example The Asian Connection, or Pride Group) that any team member across all business lines and departments can join. These groups foster communication between different areas and also encourage diversity. “At Wells Fargo you get to meet diverse people from all backgrounds, you meet folks from different cultures, and sometimes you get great ideas from people you get to mentor. It helps you broaden your thinking and your coaching development along the way too,” said Haitsuka. As an organization Wells Fargo is also very passionate about giving back to the community, said Vasquez. “The company allows you the time to go out and serve in the community. We are proud to be one of America’s largest contributors to nonprofits. Last year, Wells Fargo awarded more than $11 million to local non profits in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.” As a diversified financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 10,400 stores, over 12,000 ATMs and the Internet across North America and internationally. The company also promotes economic growth and self-sufficiency, education, social services, the arts and the environment in communities across North America. 2 – Glendale Adventist Medical Center Local Employees: 1,616 Morre Dean, President/CEO The best thing about working at Glendale Adventist Medical Center is “there’s always a smile and a greeting,” said Liz Mirzaian, Director of Volunteer Resources, an employee for 10 years. “Everywhere you turn you see smiling faces. There’s no other place I’ve seen where people are consistently caring, courteous and helpful not a discouraging word is heard,” she said. GAMC’s mission statement has much to do with it, according to Nava Benisaac, a Quality Assurance Coordinator in the department of Patient Access Services. The mission, which promotes “sharing God’s love with our community by promoting healing and wellness for the whole person,” is not just a statement, she said. “The organization as a whole stands by it. And for me it matters, because when an organization truly believes in that, then it’s not just a job. I like being in a place where what I do matters, were I have some kind of an impact,” The feeling of working towards a greater united goal, where compassion, teamwork, respect and camaraderie are strongly encouraged, creates employee satisfaction, she added. “That kind of gossip and office bickering that occurs elsewhere does not exist here. We’re encouraged to work as a team,” she said. According to Mirzaian, there’s also an overall feeling that employees are valued and cared for. “Everyone is important and everyone is valued, and the executive staff lets us know on a regular basis,” she said. GAMC has very open lines of communication. Every department holds monthly staff meetings, and the CEO and CFO attend a staff meeting from every department on a regular basis. The CEO also conducts open forums twice a year, and annual employee surveys also facilitate communication. The hospital has a robust employee recognition program that includes monthly and annual awards for excellence. Among some of the benefits offered, GAMC provides limited subsidized and free employee housing, it hosts an annual benefits fair, and gives employees the option of participating in ride share programs with monthly awards. The company shares in an annual employee picnic and outings outside the campus include Dodgers baseball nights. The organization offers childcare babysitting on campus and hands out gift cards during holidays. “This is the most supportive and most caring place that I’ve worked for,” Mirzaian said. “I’ve worked at two other hospitals and I worked at a museum, and this is by far the best place I’ve worked for.” Andrea Alegria
