“On January 01, 2000, I woke up to a new year without employment. My position had been terminated by a corporate decision; I was no longer needed. Have you ever found yourself in that situation? If not, let me tell you how humbling it is. I had worked for a state-chartered bank for nineteen years and doubled the asset size of the bank; followed by seven years with a nationally chartered bank taking it out of the tank and tripling its asset size; earning a graduate school of banking degree, attending various auditor schools, and obtaining information security, technology, and computer science degrees. I was stunned and horrified to the point I wanted to get as far away from banking as possible. I was burned out on corporate banking. I went to working various jobs with different companies over the next four months; when an acquaintance from my old banking days called me and asked if we could go to lunch. From that sprouted a true genuine friendship and a great opportunity to work again in the business of banking with one of the “greats”. Still reluctant to accept, I said I was looking for employment elsewhere but would take up this offer to help his company out in this pinch. But this trusted old friend made me feel welcomed and appreciated. He liked my ideas and he began to teach me with his wisdom, schooled me on the industry disciplines; showed me that taking a risk was acceptable and a profitable principle. This old friend, worked long days, drove all night between clients, delivered what was promised, and never took advantage of a client. His discipline was strong, his answers were right, his principals were on a solid foundation; his ideas were creative; his solutions were impeccable. He was never too busy to discuss a client’s situation; he always would seek to know the whole situation before suggesting a solution to a particular client’s problem. No, he didn’t jump to fast conclusions but studied the issue with intensity until a solution surfaced. This old friend became a mentor to me; I was his student, if only I could catch the droplets of knowledge about the business of banking falling along his path, I could be a noble, wise and worthy ambassador to the banking industry too. This old friend helped me thru some really rough and tough personal changes. He was gracious, kept me busy, working close to home as well as going to far away clients, and he was always there if I needed to ask a favor; or needed someone to talk to about life. This old friend made time graciously. We had great times working on projects together; we had great times working together at client sites; we had super great meals and stayed in some out-of-the-way crummy places too. And so I learned as his student and felt appreciated for my small contribution to helping out a trusted friend and his company in a pinch. And then, there comes a time when the wise mentor sends his student back into the world to further his knowledge and abilities so that one day he can return to share with the wise mentor what it is he has learned. Therefore I, that student, have returned to share with his most wise and gracious mentor, my old friend, that I have gained so much more knowledge because of the wise mentor’s leadership, because of the mentor’s principals, his solid foundation and his disciplines from what I learned while a student has opened the path to succeed, to better myself, to perform my responsibilities to the best of my abilities, to use the skills and knowledge to make solutions for problems work; and towards building a better banking organization through the good and bad times and find in the end the satisfaction of a doing a job well done. To my old friend, yes, a very wise mentor, I wish you the very best and that you will be able to continue to mentor to other students who too will return someday to say Thank You for giving it your all; to helping a fallen banker another chance; to make the industry better with the true and tried disciplines of banking and to being such a gentle friend. As they say, any out-of-work banker can become a consultant; but not every consultant can deliver on his promise. Only true consultants have the fortitude to be successful in both good and bad times and their record of achievement surpasses time. Bob McCormack is a true consultant by this measure; he has helped more bankers with their problems in twenty-five years than any who have come before him! But more important to me, he is my old friend and mentor which is destined to be forever!”