Forty Under 40: Landon Taylor
by January 1, 2013 12:00 am 345 views
Banking wasn’t on Landon Taylor’s mind when he first stepped on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway in 1994.
“I went to UCA with the intent of being a physical therapist,” said Taylor, a White Hall native. “I got there and after taking my basic courses I realized a lot of people wanted [to be a PT] more than I did, so I decided to make a switch.”
Numbers always came easy for Taylor, so he decided on UCA’s business college with a focus on accounting and finance.
“I found my niche,” he said.
That decision laid the groundwork for a swift move up the banking ladder and has led to Taylor’s current role in Rogers, where he manages 23 employees, $140 million in loans and $104 million in deposits.
He started his career in central and southeast Arkansas before accepting a job at First Western in 2006.
He was working for Simmons First National Bank in Pine Bluff as a mortgage loan officer, and later a correspondent banking officer when he and his wife decided they wanted to raise their family in Northwest Arkansas.
Taylor, who has led the bank to a 6.8 percent increase in Northwest Arkansas loans, coaches youth sports and is a member of several organizations, including the Bentonville Rotary Club.