Rob Rule

President/CEO

• What inspired you to pursue a career in this industry, and what led you to your role as CEO?

Before joining Volunteer Federal, I worked in insurance, which is what initially brought me to the bank. Since then, I’ve had the chance to work in various departments. gaining valuable experience along the wav. The opportunity to work in multiple areas helped prepare me for the role I have now.

• How do you envision the company evolving over the next 5 to 10 years?

Banking, like many industries, is changing quickly with technological advancements. While we’ll always be in the business of serving people, the ways we connect with customers and the speed of transactions are set to increase dramatically over the next few years.

• What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a CEO, and how have you approached them?

Navigating the current labor market and managing through the pandemic have been two of our biggest challenges to date. Even before the pandemic, we began prioritizing the right skill set over experience, focusing on matching individuals to specific roles. This cultural shift has reduced training time and significantly improved efficiency across all areas.

• How do you balance the demands of running a company with your personal life and interests?

Early in my career, I struggled with maintaining work-life balance, but now I’m often the one emphasizing its importance. I’ve found that I do my best brainstorming and reflection when I’m engaged in my hobbies. Taking the time to recharge makes us all more productive. I’ve also learned the value of saying no, which has made the moments when I sav yes more impactful.

• What aspects of your role as CEO do you find most rewarding?

My purpose is to help others, whether it is mentoring younger employees, helping a customer, or serving the community.

• How do you stay connected with and responsive to the needs of your employees and customers?

This is so important; we actively track the expectations of all our stakeholders-customers, employees, the board of directors, auditors, and examiners. Each functional area has a dedicated work group to gather and share insights with a steering committee, ensuring we address these needs promptly. My priority is consistent feedback and clear communication, as some of my biggest challenges have stemmed from misunderstandings and miscommunication.

• What are some values that are important to you, and how do they shape your approach to leadership?

Integrity, accountability, vision, humility, and decisiveness are core values that shape my leadership approach. Integrity means leading with honesty, ethics, and transparency, especially in challenging situations. Accountability is about owning decisions and actions and holding myself and others to high standards. Vision involves setting a clear direction and inspiring others with a sense of purpose and goals. Humility is essential for respecting and valuing others contributions, staying open to feedback, and continuously learning. Decisiveness allows me to make timely, well-informed choices and stand by them. These values foster trust and commitment. empower mv team, and drive the organization toward meaningful progress.

• What motivates and energizes you to keep pushing forward, especially in challenging times?

There is always someone who needs help, especially during difficult times. This is what drives us to keep moving forward, taking the next best step.

• What advice would you give to aspiring leaders or future CEOs in your industry?

Stay curious, keep pushing ourself to grow and improve, and encourage others to step outside their comfort zones to reach their potential.

• How do you foster innovation and creativity within the company?

We foster innovation and creativity by constantly asking for input from all employees and customers. These recommendations are collected quarterly and reviewed by a committee. There has been a lot of change and improvements that have come from these suggestions.

• What do you believe sets your company apart from competitors?

As a mutual institution, our focus is not on earnings per share but on effectively managing risks. By minimizing risks, we can provide greater value to our customers and contribute more to our community.

• Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that you’re particularly excited about?

Last year, we launched credit cards and are pleased to offer our credit card customers the same benefits as our home loan clients. In the coming year, we will be upgrading our ATMs to Interactive Teller Machines (IMs), enabling customers to do transactions at the IM and to see and speak with a teller for assistance right at the machine.

• How do you navigate difficult decisions that impact both the company and its people?

We will confront challenging decisions that affect the bank and its employees with transparency and honesty. While doing the right thing at the right time and in the right way isn’t always easy, it is always the best approach. I highly recommend John Maxwell’s book “High Road to Leadership” to everyone in a leadership role for valuable insights.

• What’s something about the company that you think more people should know?

Our employees have logged over 1,000 volunteer hours in 2023 and 2024. The number is most likely much higher than this because we only track the hours connected to the institution. We are very proud of the fact that our employees serve the community outside of their roles here at the bank.

• What do you hope your legacy will be as CEO of the company?

I don’t really think about my legacy as CEO. My priority is to ensure the institution continues to improve, makes the right decisions at the right time. and enhances the lives of the citizens of Monroe County. If we stay committed to these goals, our legacies will naturally follow.