New Country Club Bank CAO 'Grew Up With The Bank'

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Ashly Hanson has seen a lot of growing during her 32-year tenure at Country Club Bank, along with witnessing 103 consecutive quarters of profitability.

Hanson was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) on May 1, 2020. Reporting to chairman and CEO Paul Thompson, she will work with finance, human resources, operations and administrative team executives to facilitate daily operations, coordinate communications and create efficiencies among departments.

Hanson started as a teller in August of 1988 right out of undergraduate studies from Westminster College. At that time, Country Club Bank had $70 million in assets, $36 million in loans and 57 associates, housed in 8,000-square-feet on a basement level of the Country Club Plaza. During Hanson’s tenure, Country Club Bank has grown into a multidivisional bank now headquartered in a 73,000-square-foot building at 1 Ward Parkway. As of June 30, 2020, the bank has $1.6 billion in assets, $1.3 billion in loans, a trust company with another $2.1 billion in assets under management, and nearly 430 associates.

"I grew up with the bank. Being a part of its growth was my own little training program,” Hanson said. “Starting with it at that point provided a broad understanding of the underlying operational intricacies. I experienced many different roles and now, ultimately, have accepted the position of CAO."

Most of Hanson’s responsibilities were in finance and operations, including stints as the bank’s controller and chief financial officer.

Doug Axon, Country Club Bank’s current chief financial officer, said, “Ashly’s probably done just about everything in the organization. Because of that well-rounded perspective and historical knowledge, she understands how to prioritize what’s important to the organization. She understands who we are, both from the perspective of an executive and from her experience as a front-line teller too.”

Hanson credits Country Club Bank’s family-first values with making it possible for her to rise to an executive level while raising her family.

“Women at Country Club Bank are encouraged to aspire to leadership positions,” Hanson said. “I feel blessed to work for an organization where I did not have to choose between career and family. I’m honored to be serving as one of several women who are part of the bank’s executive leadership team as we embrace the future.”

Besides the daily executive duties inherent in the role of CAO, Hanson said she embraces an even larger unwritten responsibility: steward of the bank’s identity and values and a mentor to a new generation of bank leaders.

“I have spent more than half my life at Country Club Bank,” she said. “Coming on as a young associate, I was mentored by Byron Thompson and Bob Buckner. Now, as part of the executive leadership team, it’s my desire to mentor the next generation by modeling the culture and values of Country Club Bank that were passed on to me.

Country Club Bank makes their employees feel special. You don't feel like a number. I have certainly cherished working in an environment where people care about you and your family. As the bank continues to expand, it’s important to continue to build the legacy of Bob Buckner and the Thompson family: to make associates feel special and, therefore, to make our clients feel that way too. One reinforces the other.”

About Country Club Bank

Country Club Bank is a locally-owned community bank with assets of $1.6 billion as of June 30, 2020. The bank serves the greater Kansas City area through its 21 financial service centers and through its affiliates, including Country Club Trust Co. with $2.1 billion in assets under administration as of June 30, 2020; Country Club Financial Services; CC Capital Advisors; The Capital Corporation; Asset Management Group; and Tower Wealth Managers. Country Club Bank banks on the success of Kansas City and its people. With dedicated efforts in philanthropy, community betterment initiatives, and a passion for entrepreneurship, Country Club Bank’s leadership and associates believe that creating a better KC isn’t just good for business, it’s good for us all.