There will be challenges in life, but how you respond to them that will define your success, said Scott Case ‘00 MBA, chief information officer of Truist Financial Corp.
“Your journey is your own,” Case said. “So, don't be afraid to own it and create it as you go.”
Case, the speaker for the Belk College of Business Fall 2020 CEO Speaker Series on Nov. 5, shared his journey from UNC Charlotte MBA student to CIO of the nation’s sixth-largest financial institution.
“What you're hearing from me is that I took away more than I was learning at the time about beliefs and values, and how to treat other people, how to build relationships and how to collaborate,” Case said of his time as a part-time student in the Belk College’s MBA program. “Those skill sets are still serving me really, really well to this day and almost always win out over the technical skills in the jobs that I've had over the last several years.”
The event, a virtual conversation between Case and Belk College Dean Jennifer Troyer, also focused on Case’s leadership philosophy and trends in financial technology. Case offered insight into last year’s merger between BB&T and SunTrust that created Truist.
Case, who earned his MBA from UNC Charlotte in 2000, said “taking risk is part of life.”
“You will have challenges, up and downs personally and professionally, but having that notion of perseverance and grit, work ethic,” Case said. “There is no substitute for it. Being willing to take some chances and have that growth mindset. Those are the components that will allow you to be successful however you define it.”
Case is a member of Truist’s executive leadership team and is responsible for the organizational unit that provides the company’s overall technology, operations and information-related services.
Charlotte-based Truist serves approximately 10 million households and has more than 2,000 employees based in Uptown Charlotte.
The CEO Speaker Series, in its sixth year, features alumni and friends of the college who are in leadership positions who interact with undergraduate and graduate students. Previous speakers include Kelly King, president and CEO of Truist, and Donta Wilson '97, chief digital and client experience officer of Truist.
The series is presented by the Belk College External Relations Team and the Niblock Student Center. The event was part of the yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Belk College of Business and of the MBA program.
Photo, inset, Scott Case, right, at Commencement upon completion of an MBA.