Travis Liebig

President & CEO
Saint Louis Bank

Location: St. Louis, MO
Founded: 2005
Industry: Banking

Travis Liebig knows about humble beginnings and the importance of sheer hard work. Liebig started in banking right out of college, working in entry-level positions. He quickly ascended the ranks, ultimately becoming president of the St. Louis division of Simmons Bank. However, he had always dreamed of starting his own bank – a community bank with a strong commitment to its customers and to the region, built with teammates who shared his vision.

He left a lucrative job and invested his entire life savings in a majority interest in Saint Louis Bank in 2018. As the CEO, Liebig has achieved record profits in the past three years and has kept his promise to remain faithful to the bank’s customers while seeking to better the region.

“Travis is a visionary, but with the skills of a craftsman and the personality of one’s best friend,” said his staff. “That is a rare combination of talents that affords him the ability to turn a dream into reality.”

The purpose of Saint Louis Bank is to make the region stronger by providing the banking partnership that helps the local business community thrive. “As local banks disappear, we must fill this growing void and be the banking partner who understands the needs and challenges of local businesses,” said Liebig.

Liebig also understands that the key to success in life and business is to surround yourself with people who push you toward greatness. “Great people attract great people, so remove those who bring negativity and distraction into your life and surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you better and help you learn from your mistakes,” he said.

As CEO, Liebig said his job isn’t just overseeing operations and interacting with the board and regulators. “As CEO of a company in any industry being completely transformed, the job is much broader in terms of studying trends, technology and creating an environment for change,” he said. “None of this is possible without the right people and it requires attracting and nurturing the forward-thinking bankers of tomorrow.”

As a result, Saint Louis Bank has been recognized as a top place to work, has implemented an all-employee stock award program and grown the loan portfolio from $333 million to $489 million.

“I didn’t want to buy a bank just to build a great company,” said Liebig. “It was about creating an economic engine that could invest in the businesses that are moving our region forward.”