Interview with Bernadette Taylor

Banking as an industry has been really good for women. It has been an industry where women can enter easily, and when you look at most banks, most of the employees are female. I started in banking when I was in college as a teller, and here I am as a leader, and there are many, many women leaders at Fulton. So I feel that it's a very comfortable leadership space.

What was the biggest challenge that you faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?

I think the biggest challenge that I faced being in H.R., was that my education path was not in finance or accounting for business. It was in organizational psychology, and I’m a senior leader in an organization that is all about finance.

So what I have chosen to do through the course of my career has been to learn as much as I can to really understand and ask questions about terms that I didn't understand, and their impact, but also to really just focus on my role and do it the very best that I could, because that's what I bring to the table.

What advice do you have for women in their careers?

I would say to work hard, do the very best you can. I do feel if you do that, that organizations will take care of you. And if they don't take care of you, then you leave that organization and go to one that will.

What do you do to bring balance to your life?

Balance. I think it depends on the point in your life where you are. When my children were little, I don't think I really had a balance. But it was a partnership, and I have a really good spouse. I have a good support system. And that helps balance both working and home life. I love to spend time with my kids. I like to hike, and I love to sail.