Building a successful career in banking doesn’t have to mean moving to the city.
For Kelly Maxwell, it has meant staying in her hometown of Whyalla and steadily building her path with Beyond Bank for more than 14 years.
Kelly began her career in the processing centre of Alliance One working on the back end of loan applications.
Alliance One later merged with Beyond Bank in Whyalla, where Kelly made the move into lending and worked directly with members, gaining an even deeper understanding of the importance of trust and relationships in regional communities.
She said while she never had ambitions of moving into management, when her manager and deputy both left at the same time, she was encouraged to apply.
“I just wanted to be good at what I was doing – I was never a ladder climber,” Kelly said.
Despite her hesitation, Kelly stepped up and went on to lead the branch, helping to grow its reputation as one of the most welcoming, helpful and accessible banks in Whyalla.
More recently, Kelly has begun a new chapter as a mobile banker, looking after customers across the Eyre Peninsula and the West Coast, from Whyalla to Port Lincoln, as well as several of the small towns in between.
She said the role had allowed her to focus on lending, business development and building face-to-face connections on the road.
“It’s so important to build the relationships and know your customers – we’re trying to build a friendship and relationship with them, not just deliver a service,” she said.
Kelly said living in a regional centre had never held her back from achieving success in her career with Beyond Bank, with both her and her husband able to find stable and long-term employment in Whyalla, while maintaining the regional lifestyle they love having with their family.
“It’s easy living - 10 minutes from one end of town to the other. We wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.
Beyond Bank’s own approach has also supported regional communities like Whyalla, continuing to invest in local branches when competitors have begun reducing services, as well as providing support for community programs, and sponsorship of sporting clubs and local initiatives.
With longer opening hours and more lenders available on site, the Whyalla branch – as well as many other regional Beyond Bank branches – has set itself apart.
“We wanted to be the best relationship bank in town – and now everyone’s coming to us because of the level of service we provide.”
For Kelly, she said the greatest reward had been helping her community thrive and that she was proud of the team Beyond Bank had built in Whyalla.
“There’s so much reward out of this job. I’m proud of what we’ve created here and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
