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Greater Dane County 2021 Business Statistics & Trends Survey Results

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Greater Dane County businesses in 2020, but many area executives are optimistic about 2021, according to results of First Business Bank’s Business Statistics & Trends Survey. In a discussion about the 18th annual economic survey results, Mark Meloy, CEO of First Business Bank, speaks with Tara Conger, President of QTI Group, Nathan Herbst, CEO of Paradigm, Mike Victorson, CEO of M3 Insurance, Nancy Johnshoy, First Business Bank’s Market Strategist, and Jim Hartlieb, President of First Business Bank, about their reactions to local business performance and their experience within their own industries. The discussion focuses on:

Greater Dane County business performance in 2020 and projections for 2021
Hiring and wage trends
Primary reasons cited for below-expected and above-expected business performance
Industry differences within the local business landscape

Featured Guests

Mark Meloy

Executive Vice President of First Business Financial Services Inc.

Mark Meloy serves as Executive Vice President of First Business Financial Services, Inc., parent company of First Business Bank. He has enjoyed more than 35 years of commercial banking, joining First Business Bank in 2000 where he held various positions, including Chief Executive Officer, President, and Executive Vice President. Prior to joining First Business Bank, he held several positions with a large national bank.

Tara Conger

President of QTI Group

Tara is President of The QTI Group. Tara has extensive experience and a deep understanding of the complexities of human resources. She enjoys being a strategic partner with QTI’s customers by helping them find solutions and resources that will positively impact their business and help them to achieve key goals and objectives for their organization. Tara has over 15 years of business and HR experience and is SHRM-SCP certified. Tara is on the board of the UW-Madison Family Business Center and Goodwill of South-Central Wisconsin.

Nate Herbst

South Central Wisconsin Advisory Board Member

Nate Herbst serves on First Business Bank’s South Central Wisconsin Board with 20 years of experience in the software industry.

Mike Victorson

CEO of M3 Insurance

Mike Victorson is the CEO of M3 Insurance, a commercial insurance, employee benefits, and risk management firm with seven offices across Wisconsin and Illinois. After joining the company in 1992, Mike held numerous positions from the mail room to client service to sales before becoming executive vice president of employee benefits in 1999. He was promoted to president of the agency in 2003 and to CEO in 2005.

Nancy Johnshoy, CFA

Senior Vice President - Portfolio Manager & Market Strategist of First Business Bank

Nancy Johnshoy, CFA, has over 35 years of experience helping clients maximize and protect their wealth. Nancy works with individual clients, corporations, and non-profit organizations to achieve their investment and planning objectives. She authors the First Business Bank Quarterly Market Review, an in-depth analysis of markets and investments, and regularly presents to audiences about economic insights.

Jim Hartlieb

President & CEO of First Business Bank

Jim Hartlieb joined First Business Bank in 2009 as Senior Vice President and has served as President since 2015. Jim has over 30 years of experience in the commercial banking industry and is focused on serving middle-market companies in the Dane County area. He attended the University of Iowa where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and was a four-year letter winner in football.

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