News & Media

By Sarah Shadburne – Reporter , Louisville Business First

Nov 21, 2019

Good banking needs good listening, which is why Wes Adams joined the team at Eclipse Bank Inc. last week as its new senior vice president, commercial relationship manager.   

“It’s really all about listening. Every client has different goals and how a bank can participate in helping achieve those goals," Adams said. "It’s more consultative and once you get that communication back and forth, you end up with a client that is appreciative of the input rather than, ‘hey give me the information, I’ll throw it against the wall and we’ll see what sticks.’ That is not what I consider banking.”

Adams comes to Louisville-based Eclipse from his former position as senior vice president at First Financial Bank (formerly MainSource Bank), according to his LinkedIn profile, and has 30-plus years of banking experience. His previous role dealt mostly with commercial and industrial loan lending. His new position will deal with serving and expanding Eclipse’s client base.

For Adams, the switch was about doing what he loved.  

“I can do a little bit of everything and it’s what I sort of cut my teeth on versus sort of a silo-type of approach where you’re somewhat limited to what you can do,” Adams said. “I made the move because Eclipse offered me the opportunity to get back to doing what I think is really my strength.” 

Eclipse Bank ranked No. 22 last year in Business First's list of largest banks, with total deposits in the MSA of $126 million.

“Eclipse Bank is first and foremost a Louisville bank,” Eclipse president and CEO Andrew Pyles said in a news release. “Wes has an impeccable reputation in this town and industry. We were impressed by his commitment to developing meaningful connections throughout Louisville and think he will be a great fit for our team.”

When Adams focused primarily on commercial and industrial loan lending, he said he watched his client base grow smaller and smaller as the qualifications to take them on became steeper and steeper. As his base narrowed, he realized he would have to potentially sever relationships with clients he’d known for as long as 20 years. 

“I have clients of all sizes and they’re all important to me,” Adams said. “To tell a client, ‘hey, you’re not big enough for me anymore,’ that just doesn’t work for me. I’m not saying it doesn’t work for other banks, it just doesn’t work for me.”  

The opportunity with Eclipse intrigued Adams, he said, because of the growth of the bank, entrepreneurial atmosphere and dedication of the team members. At Eclipse, he gets to interact with a supportive board and senior management, which he said sometimes gets lost in regional banks.  

“I had some very successful years at MainSource and First Financial and I think the relationships I’ve built over there and the reputation I’ve built in the market will support continued success at Eclipse,” Adams said.  

Adams has worked for banks of all sizes, but what’s special to him about working for a community bank lies in seeing the impact of his work on the institution. Whether that means bringing in new clients or providing financing solutions, feeling like he’s contributed to the success of the bank, Adams said, is personally rewarding for him. 

“I’m looking forward to participating in the success of Eclipse Bank,” Adams said. “It’s a great opportunity for me.”