Linda Ballweg Retires from State Bank of Cross Plains, Paul Manchester Becomes SVP Chief Retail Officer

February 13, 2019, MADISON, Wisconsin— State Bank of Cross Plains (SBCP) celebrates with Linda Ballweg upon her retirement as the bank’s Executive Vice President-Chief Retail Officer. With more than 40 years in the banking industry, Ballweg has been an integral part of SBCP’s success for 26 years—first by leading the human resources division, and then as part of the executive leadership team for more than a decade.

“Linda has done a tremendous job of transitioning our retail division into the digital era during her tenure as Chief Retail Officer,” says Jim Tubbs, SBCP President & CEO. “She has also played a significant role in developing the bank’s future by mentoring countless others in our bank family. Her warmth, strength of character, thoughtful leadership, and vast institutional knowledge will be missed daily. She truly leaves a legacy we will all strive to emulate.”

Ballweg started as a drive-through teller in her hometown bank and spent 43 years in the banking industry working her way up to retire as one of the top executives at State Bank of Cross Plains and one of the most respected bankers in the Madison area. Over the course of her career, Ballweg has served as the go-to person whenever something new had to be developed and/or implemented. She has started a customer service department, combined HR departments after three separate mergers, established a new HR department from scratch, and reinvented the Retail Division at SBCP to establish a universal banking program.

Ballweg has served on the Board of Governors for the local American Institute of Bankers (AIB), as the AIB’s executive director, and on the Retail Banking Section Board for the Wisconsin Bankers Association, as well as on SBCP’s executive leadership team (a hand-picked group dedicated to determining the bank’s strategic direction). She is well-known throughout the area as a mentor and leader open to collaboration. Her input and guidance have been invaluable in bringing universal banking to community banks throughout the state and region.

Paul Manchester Becomes SBCP Chief Retail Officer

Upon Ballweg’s retirement, State Bank of Cross Plains is pleased to promote Paul Manchester to SVP-Chief Retail Officer. Most recently serving as SBCP Senior Vice President-Commercial Banking Relationship Manager and head of the bank’s Small Business Banking Team, Manchester also has extensive experience in retail banking.

“Paul Manchester is a great fit to become our next Chief Retail Officer for reasons beyond his obvious experience,” shares SBCP President & CEO Jim Tubbs. “One of Paul’s biggest strengths is his ability to coach, mentor, and develop up-and-coming bankers. We’re excited about his personal commitment to continue Linda Ballweg’s legacy of empowering and preparing talented leaders throughout our organization.”

With a degree in Communications and Psychology from University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Manchester brings 19 years of banking experience to this leadership position. In addition to his community banking expertise, Manchester coaches the Mount Horeb High School JV basketball team and serves as assistant coach for the varsity basketball squad. He is involved with Downtown Madison Inc. and the Mount Horeb Economic Development Committee. He was also named as one of the 40 Under 40 by In Business magazine in 2017.

# # #

Established in 1908, State Bank of Cross Plains is a $1 billion bank, offering a full range of business and personal financial services. The largest independent community bank in Dane County, State Bank of Cross Plains recently announced plans to merge with Union Bank & Trust in spring 2019 to expand services into adjacent counties and communities. SBCP is known for our modern, progressive approach to supporting consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses by offering services more typical of larger financial institutions in an environment that values one-on-one personal relationships and community involvement.

For additional information, please visit sbcp.bank or contact VP-Marketing Director Darin Tessier at 608-826-3514.

Kelsey Haag Promoted to Account Executive at M3

Kelsey Haag was recently promoted to account executive at M3 Insurance. She specializes in working with clients in the senior living and social services industry, evaluating their property and casualty insurance programs and customizing risk management strategies based on their current and future business needs.

Kelsey earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics with an emphasis on actuarial science and business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2010. She gained insurance experience at agencies in both Wisconsin and California before joining the M3 team as an account manager in 2014. She was promoted to senior account manager in January 2017 and served in that role until this, most recent, promotion.

_______________

About M3

M3 Insurance offers insight, advice and strategies to help clients manage risk, purchase insurance and provide employee benefits. We are committed to being experts in both the products we represent and the industries we serve. Our people advance M3’s competitive advantage in the marketplace, and our focus on community builds better places to live and work. M3 is consistently ranked a top 100 broker in America and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.

Sam Huntington Joins State Bank of Cross Plains as VP-Treasury Management Director

February 7, 2019, MADISON, Wisconsin— In his 30th year as a local banker, Sam Huntington joins State Bank of Cross Plains (SBCP) as Vice President-Treasury Management Director.

The Treasury Management department provides guidance to the bank’s corporate and commercial clients of all sizes to help them navigate and customize the full range of SBCP’s financial products and services to make their businesses run more smoothly and securely.

“Each business is different with unique challenges,” says Huntington. “We want to help you fix what’s not working and maximize your working capital, as well as protect your business from fraud and other risks. We can find solutions tailored to your situation so you don’t have to wade through the options yourself.”

Examples of Treasury Management services at State Bank of Cross Plains include:

• Cash Management, such as account options and improving cash flow issues
• Electronic Banking, including online and mobile options
• Fraud Protections and other Risk Mitigation strategies
• Lending options and Lines of Credit
• Receivables (collections and e-payments)
• Payables / Disbursement Solutions
• Payment Systems, including wire services and e-transfers
• Business Credit Cards
• Merchant Services
• International Services

In addition, the Treasury Management team works closely with other Bank specialists in offering:

• Investment Management and Employee Retirement Plans
• Wealth Management solutions
• Private Banking services

“Banking should be accessible and convenient and should serve as a way to enhance your business rather than limit your options,” Huntington explains. “We are a $1 billion bank, but we have all the products and services of a $100 billion bank, along with an attitude and mission of wanting to support and build up our local communities. We’re more than a place to deposit your business receivables; we’re a free partner and resource who wants to see you succeed for the good of the community.”

With degrees in Economics, English, and Political Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Huntington brings nearly 15 years of treasury management experience to State Bank of Cross Plains, as well insights from almost 30 years in banking overall. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and Accredited ACH Professional (AAP). In addition to his banking expertise, Huntington is a head coach and tournament team coach for the West Madison Little League.

For more information about how SBCP Treasury Management services might benefit your business, contact Sam Huntington at 608-826-3516.

# # #

Established in 1908, State Bank of Cross Plains is a $1 billion bank, offering a full range of business and personal financial services. The largest independent community bank in Dane County, State Bank of Cross Plains recently announced plans to merge with Union Bank & Trust in spring 2019 to expand services into adjacent counties and communities. SBCP is known for our modern, progressive approach to supporting consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses by offering services more typical of larger financial institutions in an environment that values one-on-one personal relationships and community involvement.

For additional information, please visit sbcp.bank or contact VP-Marketing Director Darin Tessier at 608-826-3514.

The Creative Company Welcomes Madison Lee to its Public Relations Team

MADISON, WI – Madison Lee has joined The Creative Company in its Public Relations department. Madison has several years in television production experience and can help clients communicate their messages to the media.

The majority of Madison’s career was spent producing newscasts for local television stations in the midwest and the south. Through the years she has read through countless pitches and press releases and knows which ones work and don’t work. “I started a career in journalism because I want to help people tell their stories,” said Madison Lee. “What I found is not many people know how to tell their best stories and to get others to listen.” Madison hopes in this transition from Journalism to Public Relations she can help clients reach the media in ways they hadn’t considered before.

Madison is most excited to join The Creative Company for its important work with non-profits. She spent a rewarding year working in Media Relations for an animal shelter. Now she can combine her passion for helping others and storytelling with The Creative Company.

“Maddy shares our values and she knows how to bring a story to life across multiple platforms. Her background as a news producer combined with her understanding of how real-time analytics and audience insights work will help her to develop a  newsroom like experience producing timely and relevant stories, visuals and short-form video that are on brand and built for sharing.” said Laura Gallagher, President of The Creative Company. “We’re very glad to have her join our dynamic team and work with clients to create a new model for captivating, authentic storytelling.”

About The Creative Company, Inc.

The Creative Company is Wisconsin’s leading PR and Digital Agency that partners with many of Madison’s leading non-profits, businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. The Creative Company has also been recognized as one of the best places to work in Dane County, as a finalist for the Torch Award for Business Ethics and Integrity by the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin, and one of the best Ad Agencies in Wisconsin. Visit http://www.thecreativecompany.com for more information.

Profitability Persists for InfoSec Institute

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 5, 2019 –InfoSec Institute, the leading provider of IT security education and workforce security awareness training, today reports a 24 percent revenue increase over last year, leading to the 18th consecutive year of profitability. Today’s announcement highlights significant revenue growth, product development achievements and staff expansion in 2018.

“Our continued success is based on relentless client focus and culture of responsiveness,” said Jack Koziol, CEO of InfoSec Institute. “Nobody in the business can match our team’s passion for providing the best cybersecurity education platforms. I’m stoked to see what 2019 will bring.”

Both of the company’s business lines, SecurityIQ security training and awareness and InfoSec Flex professional IT and security education, showed impressive gains.

SecurityIQ — three million cyber-resilient learners

SecurityIQ experienced record growth, achieving a 115 percent year-over-year increase in clients and 38 percent revenue growth. More than three million learners using the platform are now more cyber resilient, helping to keep private information secure. SecurityIQ has the most comprehensive education program to help organizations and their employees stay ahead of cybercrime — with more than 900 learning modules and 1000 phishing templates designed for easy program customization. 2018 SecurityIQ achievements include:

• Hundreds of new education assets — expanded Security Awareness Content Library keeps employees cyber-sharp with new training resources for privacy and data protection, BEC, GDPR, HIPAA compliance, security champions and much more for professionals in IT, healthcare and K-12 education, among others

• SAI Global partnership — new strategic alliance links the SecurityIQ training platform with SAI Global’s SAI360 software enabling a modern approach to detecting and reducing digital risk

• InfoSec Institute Partner Program — new program for managed services providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs) and OEMs diversifies partners’ security portfolios along with dedicated channel sales support, marketing resources and training

IT and Security Pros Choose Training When It’s Convenient for Them

In 2018, more than 10,000 IT and security professionals enrolled in InfoSec Institute’s flagship Flex training and certification courses — a 33 percent increase over the previous year. June saw the release of InfoSec Flex Pro, the Institute’s next generation of award-winning online training. Flex Pro courses are designed for today’s busy professionals with courseware personalized to how, when and where they learn best.

Staffing Doubles to Meet Growth

To accommodate its accelerated growth, InfoSec Institute added staff across all departments — doubling headcount to 150 employees last year and opening a second Madison sales office at 222 W. Washington St.

InfoSec Institute Scores Industry Recognitions

In addition to recently being named a Gartner Peer Insights Customer’s Choice for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training in January 2019, the company earned top industry recognitions in 2018:

• Named a Challenger in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-based Training

• Named to Trainingindustry.com’s Top 20 IT Training Companies for the eighth consecutive time
• Recognized as the Security Training & Education Program Gold Winner in Info Security Products Guide’s 2018 Global Excellence Awards

###

About InfoSec Institute

InfoSec Institute fortifies organizations of all sizes against security threats with award-winning information security education. Recognizing cybersecurity is everyone’s job, the company provides skills development and certification training for IT and security professionals while building the entire workforce’s security aptitude through awareness training and phishing simulations. Recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training, InfoSec Institute is also a Training Industry “Top 20 IT Training Company” and the Security Training & Education Program Gold Winner in Info Security Products Guide’s Global Excellence Awards.

About Peer Insights:

Peer Insights is an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision-makers. The goal is to help IT leaders make more insightful purchase decisions and help technology providers improve their products by receiving objective, unbiased feedback from their customers. Gartner Peer Insights includes more than 70,000 verified reviews in more than 200 markets. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/reviews/home.

Gartner Disclaimers

Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.