36. Jenny Saunders, President, FCBank

For a few weeks this year, Jenny Saunders felt a bit like a Disney princess. The lights in FCBank's headquarters are motion-sensitive. At the start of the pandemic, the bank's president was one of the few people working in the office, triggering the lights as she transitioned between rooms amid the largely empty space. Now more of the FCBank team is back in person, although Saunders said the work environment has become more "flexible" with people in and out regularly. But Saunders and her team are still grappling with the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Clients are starting to look for guidance on the forgiveness phase of the Paycheck Protection Program, while team members are navigating the complexities of their kids returning to school – or logging on from home – this fall. "How do you keep … your team going and helping them from an emotional and … mental aspect as well. It's not just your customers" dealing with the changing environment, Saunders said. "So you're trying to keep all of that going. It's a lot more to keep in mind than it's ever been before. And it's more important than ever." Check out the latest episode of our Women of Influence podcast to hear more from Saunders on how she's handling this tough team. You'll also learn about her somewhat unique path to the top of the bank's corporate ladder and hear her tips for developing an effective mentoring relationship.Mentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf