This month we bring you an interview with our wonderful board member, Sean Varma. Sean is a Branch Manager at Key Bank in the Portland metro area. He took a position at Key Bank because of their focus on building relationships with clients and educating them on their products. During his experience as the Branch Manager at Key Bank's Lloyd Center location, a colleague introduced him to Innovative Changes. He got in contact with Nancy and discovered that IC$' mission was in line with his beliefs and his work. We welcomed him to our board about one year ago and he has been an active member of the board ever since.

What is your role at Key Bank and what drew you to this work?

"I was in a different industry and wanted something that offered a more long-term opportunity with potential to grow within the company. Customer interaction was also very important to me", says Sean. He started as a Branch Manager at Key Bank in the Lloyd Center, which appealed to him because of the opportunity to help people get out of debt, save for retirement and their financial future, and provide financial education for their customers. He felt educating customers about Key Bank's different bank accounts and the importance of saving money was a great way to give back. Becoming a banker helped Sean learn that his passion is helping people realize their financial freedom.

What are some of the financial challenges faced by your customers?

"Since the recession a lot has changed with how we view debt and banking", Sean says.  Now many people are looking for financial freedom. Many of his customers are retired and lost money in the recession. "We want to help these people afford to maintain their lifestyles once they have retired. Some of our other clients are just entering the workforce and we help them develop the habit of saving for a rainy day", explains Sean. His job is to find a solution for his customers that come in to his branch with a variety of financial problems.