Forty Under 40: Joshua Wheatley

It’s been the “less traveled” path for Joshua Wheatley. He joined the military at 17 and was part of the Army National Guard communications unit in Hot Springs.

He just finished his 22nd year with the Army and is now a master sergeant and teaches communications to young soldiers in Little Rock.

During those 22 years, with several deployments to Iraq and other theaters, Wheatley gained more experience in communications and the technology around it.

“Through those different jobs in the military, I just dove deeper and deeper into those areas,” he said.

Back in Little Rock, he decided to further his education beyond his military training. He earned a bachelor’s degree in information technology in 2013 and, in 2015, earned a master’s degree in cybersecurity from Excelsior College.

He moved to Fayetteville in 2015 when Signature Bank hired him. He said Signature has felt just as much like a family as the military. He also said the bank’s name has a special meaning for him.

“Who is a person without a signature? You know, in the military, you’re not anything until you sign on the dotted line,” Wheatley said.

He said that working to improve Signature’s “core banking platforms” that will enhance customer service, including using algorithms with transactions “to better detect anomalies,” has been rewarding. He also appreciates bank leadership that has allowed him to combine his experience with technology to make changes.

“I really get to shape the department, work with everybody there, and progress it forward,” Wheatley said, adding later, “I feel like I’ll be at Signature as long as they will let me.”