How My Time in the Navy Helped My Career Take Flight: From a Consumer Banking Senior VP was originally published on Fairygodboss.
After spending her 20s in the U.S. Navy, Kate Meeuf was faced with a new challenge when transitioning to a civilian career. “While I had leadership experience and translatable skills (like problem solving), I was 10 years behind my classmates in terms of industry experience,” she tells us.
So, how did she tackle this? Well, first, Meeuf took charge by creating a plan on how to chart the next chapter of her career. “For me, that involved graduate school, doubling down on building domain knowledge and a commitment to learning,” she explains.
Importantly, Meeuf was also able to draw on her unique military background to help her excel. “My experience in the Navy gave me an incredible sense of self,” Meeuf says. “Flight school and subsequent missions and assignments forced me outside of my comfort zone and, ultimately, helped me discover my capabilities. I’ve frequently relied on those experiences to persevere through hard things; the key is not giving up. The other dimension is a team-first mindset. Teams are not successful unless every member is loyal and will, when necessary, subjugate their personal agenda for that of the team. I try to incorporate the ‘team is paramount’ mentality in my family and professional life.”
Thanks to her plans and skills, Meeuf has grown a career at PNC, holding multiple roles and managing various strategic initiatives at the company, including leading a strategy and research team that explored near- and long-term roadmap priorities for Consumer Banking.
Today, Meeuf has risen to become a Product Management Group Manager within PNC’s Consumer Banking Group and is continuing to use her supportive and team-first mentality to help others excel just like she has. “I’ve used my personal experience and my husband’s [who still flies in the Navy Reserves] to help peers or ‘friends of friends’ transition and get to a place where they feel fulfilled,” Meeuf notes. In this article, she’ll share some of this insight with you by providing an inside look at her role and why PNC is a great place for veterans to work!
A day in the life of a Consumer Banking Senior Vice President
Could you tell us a little bit more about your current role?
I recently changed roles and assumed this new assignment at the end of 2023. I am responsible for delivering complete servicing capabilities in EDGE (PNC’s Salesforce implementation) for our employees.
I’m excited to have the opportunity to improve and drive consistency in the employee experience, which in turn benefits the client experience.
What’s a typical day like for you? For example, what is your Monday like?
Monday Day:
- 4:30 a.m. My alarm goes off, and I grab an espresso, scan my email, and attempt to get a few pages of reading in before lacing up my running shoes for a run/Orange Theory class.
- 6:30–7:30 a.m. I’m focused on getting my three children out the door to school before heading into the office.
- 8 a.m. I review my goals for the day and to-dos.
- 9 a.m. I huddle with my team and cover our important work for the week; hit on key goals, upcoming deliverables and any critical meetings people need to be aware of.
- 9:30 a.m. I meet with and onboard a new team member.
- 10 a.m.–12 p.m. I perform deep work on deliverables and materials that I need to review.
- 12 p.m. I have a noon meeting followed by my daily stroll to Starbucks at the Fairmont hotel for an Americano to power me through the rest of the afternoon. My afternoons tend to be heavier with meetings and collaboration.
- 1 p.m. I review feedback on a deliverable with a team member.
- 2–4 p.m. I have meetings with various partners and stakeholders as well as a staff meeting. After that, I catch up on email and secure loose ends before heading home.
Monday Night:
My weeknights usually involve a mental break for dinner and catching up with my family, though we do spend several weeknights scattered for practices and games/meets. After that, I usually log back in to wrap up any outstanding to-dos and prep for the next day before heading to bed to recharge for tomorrow.
Why veterans should consider joining PNC
What factors were most important to you in transitioning from a military to civilian job? Why did you decide to join PNC?
It was important to find a company that had a cultural code that resonated with me. My naval experience fostered a deep appreciation for certain core values like teamwork, responsibility, integrity, and an environment that enables continuous learning and improvement. While I wanted to shape and develop products, the cultural factor superseded everything else.
Finally, how have you felt supported while working at PNC?
PNC has an extremely inclusive culture. I’ve felt supported, better connected and valued through a variety of employee business resource groups (EBRGs).
I’ve also benefited from the investments PNC makes in the growth and development of its employees through various learning and development programs. PNC’s education benefit in partnership with Guild is one of the more prominent and recent examples of PNC’s commitment to personal learning and professional development.
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