Managing director, The Private Bank

Kim Butler has followed sound advice and overcome one major fear – of sales – to succeed in the male-dominated banking industry.

Butler is the managing director of the Iowa division of The Private Bank, a business lender that established an office in Greater Des Moines in 2008.

In the 25 years since she graduated from Central College in Pella, Butler hasn’t known any industry other than banking.

Her first internship was as a credit analyst with Hawkeye Bancorporation. She was offered a full-time job during that internship.

Her fear was that she would leave college with a business degree and wind up as a salesperson.

“They actually hired me during that internship to come back,” Butler said. “I was pretty excited to have a job after graduation in the mid-’80s. It was not unlike the times we have now. It was attractive to me because I didn’t have to sell anything. Now, that’s all I do pretty much every day, is sell (The Private Bank).”

Between Hawkeye Bancorporation and The Private Bank, Butler has held various leadership positions with Wells Fargo & Co., U.S. Bank and LaSalle Bank, until it was acquired in 2007 by Bank of America Corp.

Butler is one of about 200 former LaSalle executives hired by The Private Bank. She helped establish the Greater Des Moines office, now located at 4201 Westown Parkway, in February 2008.

Much of her time these days is spent representing clients and selling the bank by way of convincing people that it is a commercial operation and not the specialized private banking practice of a different commercial financial institution.

“Building the brand is our challenge,” Butler said.

Following the advice of her brother, Butler became active in community organizations when she arrived in Greater Des Moines.

“At the time, I had two small children, but you can always find time to be involved in the community,” she said. “And really, it’s the right thing to do. The beautiful thing about Des Moines is that it affords anybody who really wants to get involved the opportunity to get involved and assume a leadership position and really make a difference.

“If you have the time and are willing to roll up your sleeves, you’re more than welcome to be a part of most boards.”

Butler is a past president and current board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa. She is on the Variety – The Children’s Charity of Iowa board and is a member of Consortium – A Business Club. She is a past board member of the American Cancer Society, Youth Emergency Services and Shelter and the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.