U.S. Bank Wealth Management, 60 Livingston Avenue, St. Paul, 55107
susan.fleming@usbank.com; 651.466.6317

Susan Fleming can make a trip to D.C. outshine an adventure in Maui.
 
Fleming, a corporate meetings and event industry veteran, has worked at several local companies and today oversees meetings and incentive travel for the wealth management division of U.S. Bank.
 
U.S. Bank holds a variety of meetings for the multiple lines of business that comprise the division; most are held annually and primarily occur outside of the Twin Cities. The meetings range dramatically in size, from about 150 participants to roughly 800.
 
Fleming says one key event is the division’s annual “award trip,” which is taken in conjunction with the larger U.S. Bank award trip and attracts more than 1,000 participants. Employees from various parts of the company have to meet different criteria to earn the trip as an employee incentive.
 
This spring, Fleming and eligible employees traveled to Washington, D.C.—but some were “less than enthusiastic” about the destination, Fleming says. She might be putting that lightly; qualified staffers had traveled to Maui the prior year.
 
But the trip turned out to be a major success. The group kicked off the trip on the rooftop of the American Pharmacists Association building, which offers a panoramic view of the city. From the rooftop, participants watched the sun set on D.C.’s iconic monuments.
 
They stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, a luxury hotel located just off the mall, in close proximity to a wide variety of activities and attractions to explore. Trip participants were treated to an exclusive after-hours event at the National Air and Space Museum, where they were able to explore the museum and enjoy the IMAX theater and simulators without the hassle of crowds.
 
The event was capped off a with formal recognition program, which honored U.S. Bank Wealth Management employees who had met the necessary benchmarks to be eligible for the awards trip.
 
“Not surprisingly, we had many winners admit their skepticism regarding the city destination and how it exceeded expectations,” Fleming says. “In addition, there were repeat winners that gave it higher marks than Maui.”
 

Career history:
• Carlson Marketing Group, incentive travel coordination, 1991-1996
• Piper Jaffray Companies, director of corporate meeting management, 1996-2006
• U.S. Bank Wealth Management, director of meetings and events, 2006-present

Outside activities and interests:
“I enjoy time off the road and at home with family and friends,” Fleming says, adding that she has been married for 21 years and enjoys watching her 12-year-old son participate in sports.

Education and certifications:
• Bachelor of arts in communications from the University of Minnesota and Center for British Studies in England
• Certified meeting professional designation, 1999
• Certification in meeting management, 2006