By: Chad Mertz—
Muncie, IN – First Merchants Bank has promoted Carrie Valek to senior vice president and director of consumer banking. In this role she will be responsible for the leadership, performance and strategic direction of the consumer bank. She most previously served as director of retail sales.
Valek’s areas of concentration include talent management, strategic sales management, executive leadership and financial management. She has been effectively shaping First Merchants Consumer Banking direction and results for many years. She has proven to attract and develop top talent to our organization and her influence has spanned beyond her direct reporting lines.
“Since Carrie joined our team in 2012, she has utilized her abilities to attract talent and build teams. Carrie gets results through focus, engagement and knowledge of our consumers,” said First Merchants Chief Banking Officer, Michael Stewart. “Her passion will continue to benefit our company immensely, and I’m confident she will guide First Merchants toward continued growth.”
Prior to joining First Merchants Bank, Valek was senior vice president of retail banking for Indiana Bank and Trust Company. Her experience also includes Fifth Third Bank as a regional manager of retail banking and National City Bank as senior vice president, and retail market executive.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve First Merchants, and I look forward to building on our company’s wide-ranging financial services,” said Valek. “We’ve experienced immense momentum in the past five years, and I look forward to a promising future.”
Valek is a committed volunteer at The Fortune Academy, a comprehensive school dedicated to educating and equipping students with language learning differences to become competent and confident life-long learners. Additionally, she is an active volunteer at Grace Church in Noblesville, Ind.
About First Merchants Corporation
The largest financial services holding company headquartered in central Indiana, First Merchants is a $10 billion bank ranked second on the Forbes 2019 list of “America’s Best Banks.” First Merchants employs a “whole bank” strategy that delivers value through three lines of business: Commercial Banking, Personal Banking and Private Wealth Advisors.
