By Scott Carlson
St. Paul-based Sunrise Banks has kicked off the New Year with a new chief financial officer (CFO), naming Kevin Valois to the post.
Valois succeeds Melodie Carlson, who recently became Sunrise Banks’ chief administration officer.
“I grew up in the Como Park area of St. Paul,” Valois said. “It’s great to be back in St. Paul and serving the communities that hold a special place in my heart.”
Before joining Sunrise Banks, Valois worked 18 years for KleinBank where he was first controller and then CFO. He began his career at the public accounting firm of McGladrey and Pullen (now known as RSM) where he worked 10 years.
“My job with McGladrey jumped started my banking career,” said Valois, who has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota at Duluth and is certified public accountant. “At the firm, you were required to pick an industry to specialize in after working for five years and I choose the financial institution space.”
As Sunrise Banks’ CFO, Valois’ duties include managing the finance and accounting departments, as well as providing strategic financial advice to the Sunrise board, CEO and management team.
“Adding Kevin to our leadership team will ensure that we have the financial management for continued growth,” Sunrise CEO, David Reiling said in a press statement. “His skills and expertise make him an ideal addition to our already highly talented team.”
Asked what he likes best about banking, Valois said, “The relationships that we have with customers and communities we serve. We can help individuals with their financial aspirations and assist entrepreneurs in achieving their business dreams in such an impactful way. By building these relationships, the communities become stronger and it’s great to be a part of.”
