Power of Women: Kim Lengyel
AVP, Business Banking Underwriting Officer
March honors Women’s History Month and we are excited to highlight all of the dynamic women in our Power of Women Employee Resource Group to draw attention to the deliberate action that we are taking as a group & as an institution to empower & uplift the women in our community. Our goal is to be leaders & mentors at Berkshire Bank, and to also model a system of uplift & support for our entire Berkshire Bank community & the banking world at large.
Today we are honoring Kim Lengyel.
How do you define a leader?
A leader is someone who is able to create connection in order to unite individuals and departments for a common cause.
Who is your “Shero” one of the biggest influencers/mentor in your life and career? Why?
Steve Etoian, a Market Commercial Credit Officer at my previous bank. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and kept pushing me to challenge myself. If it wasn’t for him, I would never have gone through credit training or learned the underwriting side of commercial banking.
Can you recall a defining moment when you were mentored by your Shero or another woman? What did that experience teach you?
I was mentored by another woman at my previous bank — Jasmine. She taught me to first and foremost listen, ask questions and to be patient. I was always trying to just get to the answer, but there were a lot of pieces in between that impacted her advice that she needed to know. Her coaching me through how to problem solve on my own has made me SO much more confident. Jasmine’s questions taught me how to be more insightful and find the root cause of a problem. Its simple, more work takes more time, but in the long run it is much more beneficial than patching a band aid over an issue.
How do you celebrate the women in your life?
By never forgetting that I am a first generation college student. Sometimes I think it’s taken for granted that everyone has gone to college, or has higher degrees of education.
Where do you find your power?
From within. I focus on my “why” and my overarching goals for my life and my families life. Envisioning who I want to be - what I will be wearing, who I will be surrounded by, and how I feel brings me power and confidence to lead by example.
The Power of Women (POW) employee resource group is a safe space for all people who identify as female and their allies. The goal of this ERG is to support women in the workplace by suggesting programming including mentoring and coaching, reviewing corporate communication efforts, elevating important topics to management and organizing celebratory events.
