Insight ? Jon Cooper - Strictly Business

ob: President and CEO, Champlain National Bank

Hometown: Buffalo, New York

Family: Wife, Nancy (and pack of poodles)

Education: Fordham University

Professional Affiliations: CVPH Foundation Board, Board of Airondack Community Action Partners, President of the Noon Rotary Club, New York State Bankers Insurance Committee, United Way and United Way Allocations Committee Bank CEO Network

Jon Cooper loves to play golf. Several years ago he was eyeing the south as a possible place to work, but the North Country welcomed him with open arms and won his heart. While he?s happy to be here, he?s also very happy that, thanks to the Plattsburgh International Airport, golf in Florida is only a few hours away.

Following is Strictly Business? Insight interview with Champlain National Bank president Jon Cooper.

SB: What important lessons did you learn early in your career?

?Be prepared and don?t make excuses if you?re not. Early in my career as a young branch financial officer I went to a meeting and was asked by the Executive Vice President of the Retail Division why a particular unit was way off budget. I responded that I didn?t know. I hadn?t had a chance to speak to the department manager because he was out of town. The EVP was kind, but looked at me and said, ?You know, they have phones out of town.? I was embarrassed, but learned my lesson. That really stuck with me. I never went to a meeting unprepared again.?

SB: Who was your most influential mentor?

?There were a couple of people early on in my career who took me under their wing and taught me all they knew about banking. I have always remembered that and as a result try to work with our younger professionals to answer their questions and ensure they understand the answers. That?s also the reason I have become so involved in the mentoring program that SUNY Plattsburgh?s School of Business & Economics sponsors in conjunction with the Plattsburgh Noon Rotary Club. The experience has been very rewarding. The students really benefit from it and want to learn.?

SB: What was the best piece of advice you ever received?

?In business, more often than not, people remember your mistakes, not your successes. Once, when I was in college, I was proud of a 90% I received on a Cost Accounting test. Hearing my self-congratulatory remarks, my professor said, ?Cooper, in business it?s not the 90% of the time you get it right that people remember, but the 10% of the time you get it wrong?. He was right, 10% wrong is intolerable in today?s environment.

?Another great piece of advice I received from a colleague was to never respond to an e-mail or a phone call that has hit an emotional chord. Don?t respond immediately, put off your response for at least 24 hours.?

SB: What advice would you offer to someone starting his or her business career?

?Display passion at all times, never think you can stop learning, and control your emotions.?I?m a member of a bank CEO network that offers training sessions twice a year with two days of classroom sessions. I always attend because I?m passionate about improving. I?m amazed that others in my position fail to take advantage of such programs. Perhaps they feel their experience has taught them all they need to know, but one person can?t think of all the ideas necessary to succeed. You need to get input from others and to share your experiences. I can?t tell you how many times I?ve come back from these sessions and put into action the ideas I have picked-up.

?One final piece of advice, no matter what happens in your personal life, try not to bring it to work, especially if it?s an emotional downer. Be upbeat and have a positive attitude. No one wants to be around someone who brings them down.?

SB: What qualities do you believe are necessary for success?

?Knowledge is important of course, and while your ability to advance is dependent upon it, there is something to be said about being in the right place at the right time. Networking with successful people and becoming involved in various community activities can prove to be extremely beneficial. Connections with successful people can raise your game and provide you with opportunities to advance. Finally, be able to adapt to change and take it in stride. Constructive criticism should be perceived for what it is, an opportunity to change and improve, not as a personal insult to be met with excuses.?

SB: If you could start your professional career over again, what would you do differently?

?Not a thing. I?m really happy at how my career has turned out and that I?ve ended up here. Being the president and CEO of a community bank is a great job. This is the closest I could ever come to running my own company. That being said, my career path was not an upward straight line. Fortunately, when I got knocked down I was able to recover. This would not have been possible without great support from my wife. I believe the saying that ?Behind every successful man is a woman?. For each setback she was there to pick me up, allowing me to get back on the horse and move forward.?

SB. Tell us about your approach to management and leadership

?I don?t believe in micro managing. I believe in pushing the authority down. When people come into my office with a problem, I also want them to come with a solution. We can discuss the logic behind the solution, but I believe in hearing their recommendation first. If you want your staff to grow, let them make decisions, even if it means they will sometimes fail. Our best learning experiences come from our failures. I truly believe that. When things do go wrong you have to be ready to change course and alter your decisions accordingly. Learn and move forward. I try to be a hands-off manager and I always try to seek out opinions from others before making critical decisions.

?As for leadership, I don?t ask anyone to do what I am not willing to do. That?s why even today I have my own commercial loan clients. It?s important to walk in other people?s shoes. When you do, you gain insight and respect.?

SB. What are you looking for when you hire?

?I look for passionate people with solid common sense. Book smarts can be learned but common sense and passion are different matters. You either have them or you don?t. I also look for creative thinkers who can work with others and be team players. I don?t hire based on the highest cumulative average. I?m looking for people who are passionate and can make connections with others. When it comes to the interview, potential employees should come prepared and know about my company.?

SB: What are you most proud of professionally?

?Attaining the position of president and CEO of a community bank. In this position you work with your team to develop the direction of the bank. Product decisions, pricing, strategic direction are all part of the process of moving the company forward. You get to see the impact of your decisions and whether they are the right ones. This position has also opened doors for me and exposed me to things that I otherwise would never have been able to experience.?

SB: If you could have dinner and spend an evening with any person, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

?Mickey Mantle. I love baseball and am an avid Yankee?s fan. During Mantle?s time baseball was baseball, players were purists, they played mostly for the love of the game and with raw talent, and off the field they lived life to the fullest. Mantle was a pretty good golfer too, which is a passion of mine. I?d love to talk to him about baseball and what it was like in his day.?

SB: How would you like to be remembered?

?As a guy who made a difference in someone?s life, allowing them to find the potential they never thought they had.?

SB: What do you believe the North Country community should do today to insure a prosperous future?

?The future lies with the younger generation. We have to attract and retain top talent by providing good paying jobs. This will not come through more government, but through the private sector. This area is very fortunate to have a number of key players who are working hard toward that end. People like Garry Douglas, Bob Smith and Bill Owens to name just a few, are passionate about making this area better and bringing in more private sector jobs.

?Also, we need to realize that our neighbors to the north are key to our success. Let?s face it, our airport would not be what it is today without the vision of some of our key leaders and our Canadian neighbors.

?And let?s not forget the role that both quality health care and our quality educational facilities play in our success. We are blessed to have such institutions as CVPH, SUNY Plattsburgh and Clinton Community College. They will continue to play a key role in our future success. And having a beautifully refurbished Strand Theater will also be very beneficial. I can?t wait until the day that happens.

?Finally, we need employers who generously give their time and money and allow their employees to also give their time to make the North Country better. Without that commitment I would hate to think where we would be today.?

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