Jenius Bank™ Opens Office in Charlotte, NC

When people outside of Charlotte, North Carolina speak about the city, they usually talk about the Panthers, Hornets and now, Charlotte FC, the city’s first soccer team.

Most don’t know that Charlotte is recognized as the Queen of Finance—and deservingly so. It’s the second-largest banking center in the nation—second only to the largest banking mecca in the world, New York City. Jenius Bank opened its own Charlotte office in 2022 and is looking forward to growing a team there.

Jenius Bank Among Other Financial Services Leaders

Given the city’s prominence in the banking industry, it makes sense that Jenius Bank would have a site in Charlotte among consumer powerhouses Bank of America and Wells Fargo as well as many fintechs.

Senior Jenius Bank leaders believe opening the Charlotte office is an important milestone in Jenius Bank’s growth. It’ll be one of the primary hubs for the bank and home office for about 20 team members once the first product launches.

Early in the Jenius Bank strategy development, the team identified Charlotte as an ideal location for the team.

“Visibility is key as some customers, associates and potential associates want to connect a name to a business office, and our Charlotte location gives us that visibility,” says Eric Thompson, Jenius Bank’s Program Management Executive who spearheaded opening the Charlotte office.

Having an office in Charlotte has other important benefits like access to high caliber banking talent. In fact, many smaller organizations move to Charlotte just to tap into the financial services talent pool which further enhances Charlotte’s banking center notoriety.

Of course, there’s more to Charlotte than banking and sports teams. Its mild climate, diverse and rich culture, distinctive neighborhoods, and quality of life are just some of the reasons why folks have flocked to the Queen City.

Jenius Bank Embraces Modern Work Culture

John Watkins, Jenius Bank’s Fraud Strategy leader, started working at the Charlotte office in February of this year when it first opened. John is responsible for preventing and investigating fraud, and his team is currently building the foundation that will help protect customers from fraud exposure.

Many team members based out of this office have roles that follow the hybrid working model: those employees work a combined in-office and remote schedule. John—who will be an empty nester soon—is excited to be working in-person again.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to be back in the office,” he says.

John enjoys the flexibility in his role and thinks, for him, hybrid working is here to stay.

Many other employees at Jenius Bank work remotely by design. The collective Jenius Bank team covers more than 23 states. The Charlotte office provides a great space for any Jenius Bank team member visiting town to meet and collaborate.

John appreciates the collaborative environment and says it makes his time in the office more focused and productive. Jenius Bank has been excited to provide this opportunity in Charlotte and plans to open another office soon in Phoenix, AZ, along with teammates in Manufacturers Bank. Jenius Bank is a division of Manufacturers Bank and its Digital Banking Unit.

An Innovative Environment for a New Digital Banking Team

According to Eric, the growing popularity of both the hybrid and fully remote work models makes having a team hub, like in Charlotte or Phoenix, an essential part of the Jenius Bank business.

The Charlotte office itself is well designed. It’s located right next to offices for Jenius Bank’s parent company SMBC on the same floor, just separated by transparent glass partitions. There’s an open floor plan with lots of natural light and space. There are three conference rooms—one large executive conference room and two smaller ones—and cutting-edge technology to facilitate engagement in-person and remotely.

Team members are treated to lots of perks, including a rooftop terrace, an onsite restaurant, free parking, and a gym with a locker room. John also highlighted the installation of a new coffee machine, which goes to show that sometimes it’s the little things that can make all the difference in your workday.

The environment is casual and allows for connection. “Impromptu meetings are the norm around here,” says John. “It’s so easy to grab a whiteboard and start sharing ideas.”

The Charlotte office is currently the home of Operations, Product, and Technology team members, but of course it’s open to any team member. The office is expected to be filled as Jenius Bank ramps up headcounts in fall 2022 and early 2023.

Looks like that new coffee machine is going to be busy!