Jordan Hallam, 38

Jordan Hallam didn’t grow up with a beeline to banking, despite his dad, and mentor, being a banker. “I don’t know any kid who grows up thinking, ‘I want to be a customer relationship manager at a bank,’" quips Hallam. 

He was drawn to business, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, from the University of Florida. Yet even at a UF job fair right before he graduated, he wasn’t sold on banking. He interviewed for a host of entry level positions, at places like Kraft Foods and elevator manufacturer ThyssenKrupp AG, now TK Elevator. 

The only companies to make Hallam a job offer? Banks.