Mike Maeser understands that many fellow Minnesotans might still think of Huntington Bank as “the bank that acquired TCF.” But, as the Columbus, Ohio-based bank’s new Minnesota regional president, he sees an opportunity to reframe the story.

“I would tell you that Huntington has a really deep-rooted history that’s an exciting story that goes back to 1866,” Maeser says.

Huntington, which first unveiled merger plans with TCF in late 2020, earlier this month announced that Maeser is taking over for Darrel German, who served as the bank’s Minnesota regional president for nearly four years and recently left to pursue other opportunities.

Raised in Bloomington, Maeser says he’s always had a special place in his heart for Minnesota. Earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, he’s been in the finance world for over 30 years.

He first joined Huntington in August 2021, when he began serving as Twin Cities area leader for the company’s Private Bank wealth management division. Before that, Maeser worked in wealth management at Wells Fargo.

He says his main priority remains helping consumers as best he can. He stresses the importance of getting to know bank clientele to help with needs they “sometimes don’t even know they have.”

In an interview with TCB , Maeser talked about his goals in his new role, the Fed’s recent interest rate cut, and what he loves most about the state he calls home.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What are some goals you have in your new role?

The first goal is to really double down on our value proposition, which is basically making people’s lives better, helping businesses thrive, and strengthening the communities we serve. That is why we exist; that is the “why” of Huntington. No matter what business group you’re representing, those things are really, really important. We achieve this with a local team of professionals who can help a client – through advice and guidance – understand what their situation is, help address those needs, and stick with them as a local team throughout their business and banking lives. We also want to get to know the multi-generations of customers we can serve. That’s deep down the reason why we exist. As we look at my role as the regional president, it’s not only about helping to coordinate and lead a group of leaders in all the different business groups, but also to have a cohesive team to work together and solve problems. We want to grow our base of clients extensively as we move forward.

Former regional president Darrel German was focused on achieving racial justice through banking. Do you plan to carry on those initiatives?

Absolutely. Darrel is a great man. Our entire company, not just us here in Minnesota, would put this at the top of their list. Huntington’s $40 billion strategic community plan from a couple of years ago focuses on core areas, including community development, small business lending, and affordable housing. We’re addressing social, racial, environmental, as well as economic inequalities in minorities and underrepresented communities. Without a doubt, we are continuing that work in this area.

These days, people can access many banking services without ever setting foot into a branch. Huntington currently has about 60 branches in Minnesota. What’s your approach to brick-and-mortar banking here, and elsewhere in the country?

You’ll see some significant trends that have gone on with banking over the years. For some years, bigger banks were moving towards directing clients into the electronic side of it and losing the personal connection. Huntington is doing both. We have one of the best online electronic banking apps, in my opinion. A lot of the programs that we afford those clients who prefer to do business that way continue to get better. But we have found that in the larger communities, like the Twin Cities and other major metropolitan areas, customers want both online and in-person banking. You not only need to continue to invest in online capabilities, but also invest in [staff] and in branches. We have a growth plan, so we will continue to grow our branch network and continue to invest in people, local teams, and professionals to serve the clients’ needs. This is the first time in my working life that we’re serving as many as five generations of families. What’s interesting about that is that not all those generations are engaging with a bank or financial services in the same way. So, you have to do both.

You’re joining Huntington at a seemingly auspicious time for banks: The Federal Reserve on Sept. 18 enacted its first and biggest benchmark interest rate cut since March 2020. How do you think that will impact your customers?

For several decades I’ve seen interest rates ebb and flow. A year ago, we saw rates go up 500 basis points – no one saw that coming. That caused a pinch in many consumers’ lives. For the first time, interest rates for home equity loans, lines of credit, and credit cards were at a very difficult place. Interest rates coming down will start to provide relief. This is sort of the normal course of business, but the Federal Reserve is really being smart about the way they’re doing this. They’re trying to balance the economy and the needs of business and individuals. In my working career, I’ve seen it happen many times. They forecast a lot of this; it’s built into the market. We may see additional rate cuts maybe this year, and for sure in the next year.

What do you love the most about Minnesota?

The opportunity to raise my family, my children, and ultimately their kids in a state where they feel safe, have an amazing education, sports, all the arts, and the four seasons. For me, there is something really unique about being able to enjoy the extremes of all four seasons and all the things that people probably take for granted. I don’t.