2022 NEA Women in Business: Teresa Roche

Teresa Roche
Private banking advisor
Arvest Bank
Residence Jonesboro

What was your dream job and why?

Union Planters Bank Memphis. I loved the people I worked with and enjoyed my job as a credit card underwriter. Our manager planned fun workplace events monthly and she made it enjoyable to work there.

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far?

I worked in Joplin Mo., after the 2011 tornado and as a banker, I was able to help so many people get through the process of losing everything.

What character traits do you feel have benefited you in your success?

I am an extrovert and love meeting new people and hearing their story. I also get very bored easily and this has caused me to branch out within the banking industry, which in turn, has helped me be more knowledgeable about banking.

How do you spend your time away from work? What are your hobbies?

I enjoy RVing and traveling with my husband, and our dog Tavish, who is a cairn terrier (Toto from the Wizard of Oz ) and we just so happened to get him when we lived in Kansas. I consider myself a foodie and enjoy visiting new restaurants, food trucks and venues.

What’s your favorite app at the moment?

Can I say Marco’s Pizza?

What advice would you give young women who are at the beginning of their careers?

Read or listen to current events every day and build a network of people who are different than you.

Can you share how COVID impacted your business or organization?

It changed what the workplace looks like and how we help our customers. More associates worked from home and we learned how to do things digitally and more efficiently.

What’s the last good book you read?

Work would be “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” Personal is John Grisham’s “Sparring Partners.”

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it?

To travel the U.S. in our RV without an agenda, to sail the seven seas and to visit the pyramids of Egypt.

Who have been mentors who’ve influenced your professional career?

Mert Guin at Union Planters Bank. She was my first female manager and took me under her wing. I really don’t think I would be where I am today without her. Also, Clifford Wert at US Bank. Because of him, I was able to grow within my banking career. He observed my interactions with customers and developed a small business banking position for me, which I loved.