At First Business Bank, it’s easy to see how talented professionals build a fulfilling career. With educational support, mentorship, and opportunities to move positions around the company, our employees can plan their career paths and do what it takes to get there. The rewards are many, including an invigorated career, building new skills, and making a significant impact within the company.
One example is Derek Smith. Derek is a Navy veteran who joined First Business Bank in 2016 as an IT Support Specialist. Before the Navy, Derek’s first job was at Burger King in 1999, so he knows how to multitask and work hard.
Making Career Moves
Building on his success and expertise, Derek was promoted in 2025 to IT Security & Compliance Operations Lead after earning his Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University. In this expanded leadership role, Derek manages security operations, leads incident response coordination, and mentors security team members while continuing to strengthen the bank's overall cybersecurity posture.
When he first applied for his original role in 2016, Derek said he was intrigued by the interview process. “I’ve never been a part of an organization that not only focuses on your professional qualifications but also on your personality and how well you will fit with your team and the bank,” Derek said. “It really improves a team’s and organization’s performance when you’re not only working with professionally qualified people, but also people that mesh well.”
Derek says his favorite thing about his co-workers at First Business Bank is that they’re down to earth and friendly. “Employees really appreciate and take the time to get to know each other — it’s like a family environment,” he said.
Cybersecurity Expert
In his role, Derek said he really likes that cybersecurity is always evolving and enjoys staying on top of the latest cybersecurity practices. As part of that, he makes sure we have the best tech and policies in place to protect ourselves. The most rewarding part of his job is stopping threats in their tracks. He said no one likes getting calls from him checking to make sure all is Ok, however, usually he’s double-checking an alert he’s monitoring to make sure it wasn’t malicious.
His advice for new employees at First Business Bank is not to worry if the CEO comes looking for them. Derek relayed a story from his first day:
“On my first day at First Business Bank, a few people told me the CEO was looking for me. I was still getting to know everyone, so I thought, ‘What in the world does the CEO want with me?’ When I finally ran into him, he just wanted to introduce himself and say hi. In my previous jobs, I’ve never had the CEO take time out of their busy day to introduce themselves to me. That was a very positive experience.”
When he’s not at work, Derek likes to garden, cook, and take boxing lessons. “Boxing is great exercise and really helps to improve mental health,” he said. He’s also grateful for the work-life balance that First Business Bank offers.
“First Business Bank is like a family,” Derek said. “If there is a personal issue that you need to take care of, they’re happy to have you take some time off to get your personal matters in order without any pressure and happy to help with anything that may be going on in your life.”
