Forty Under 40: Matt Brasel

Matt Brasel’s co-workers say he is a maverick in the banking industry, a dynamic, adaptable and charismatic leader who forfeited a safe career in 2012 to join a risky new venture with the formation of Bear State Bank.

Brasel was a key part of an integration committee that merged First National Bank, Heritage Bank and First Federal Bank into one organization, and oversaw the rebranding of Bear State Bank last year. New policies, products and procedures were established — in a thriving market with rigorous competition, no less.

Brasel was recruited away from Community First Bank, where he had worked eight years, to join the fledgling Bear State Bank, and worked in a double-wide trailer while the first Benton County location was planted.

“It’s been a fun ride,” he said.

There are now eight banking centers within the Northwest Arkansas region. Co-workers say Brasel’s strategic choices strengthened the bank’s image and cultivated opportunities.

Brasel’s grandfather worked in the banking market in Harrison, which is where Brasel was born and raised. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a finance degree in 2003, and was first employed with Bank of America and First Security Bank.

Brasel has been active with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas, the American Heart Association, the Children’s Safety Center and Rogers Early Morning Rotary. He also encourages staff members to participate in meaningful community endeavors.