Introduction
Nothing says "Influencer" like an executive profile on Bloomberg. Except an influencer profile on the Catalyst, of course. Scott Gault was recently appointed the Hillsborough County Market President, after 3 years of successfully building the Bank of Tampa's stature in Pinellas County through infrastructure and outreach. Harnessing 25 years of experience in banking enterprises large and small, Gault continues to lead the bank's Small Business Administration services, connecting local businesses to the community bank.
Years in St. Pete
back in St. Pete just about 4 years now.
Organizations involved in
Beyond Bank of Tampa, Habitat for Humanity Pinellas County, USF St. Petersburg Kate Tiedemann School of Business, St. Anthony’s Foundation, St. Pete Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors.
What gets you out of bed every day?
An alarm clock that goes off at 5:00am is probably the first thing. Beyond that, I truly enjoy doing what I do here in St. Petersburg and in all of Pinellas County, and the whole Tampa Bay region. This is the first time in my professional career that I’ve worked for a bank of this size. It has given me the ability to really get engrained in the community. I’ve always worked for very large national organizations where that connectivity in the community was not there. The Bank of Tampa is heavily involved in the community as a community bank and that’s what gets me up every day.
Why St. Pete?
I met my wife here 20-some odd years ago. She was a nurse. Her first job was as a nurse at All Children’s Hospital here. I was living here. Had been transferred down from New York City and decided to never go back to New York after living here for 6-7 months. After several years, got transferred out and lived all over the state of Florida. After seeing all of those areas, there’s no doubt in my mind that this region of Florida is my favorite and my family’s favorite.
What is one habit that you keep?
I make my bed every day and I try to work out at least four days a week, if not more than that.
Who are some people that influence you?
My kids. I have two high schoolers at St. Pete High School. I think it’s very important at this stage in my life to try to give back. What is inspiring me now is me trying to inspire my kids so they get that same sense as they grow up. Both of my kids work their butts off in various jobs that they have and they also now are giving back to Habitat for Humanity. When I see my daughter building a house on a Saturday afternoon when she could be at the beach with all of her friends, that inspires me. When I see my son doing the same thing, that inspires me.
What is one piece of insight - a book, methodology, practice - that you would share with our readers?
Make your bed. My mother instilled that in me years before any book was written about it. It’s so little and so simple but it’s so important. I think it gives you closure on the start of your day and gives you an opportunity to be successful at something and accomplish something that is very easy, and it makes your day go better.
What is one thing you wish you knew about your work 3 years ago?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. When I first came to the bank I was trying to get involved in every little aspect of our business and what my people do. What I’ve now realized is that I need to be able to rely on my people and trust my people and their instincts to get the job done and done correctly. Since I’ve realized that my people are a lot more engaged in their roles.
What’s next?
Continue doing what I’m doing. We’re building a really great thing here in the Tampa Bay region. We want to be known as the hometown bank. We want to be known for service levels above and beyond anybody else out there. We don’t have voicemail, you never call a call center. All our employees live, breathe, play and spend their money right here in the region. Continue to grow this bank in the right way.
