Lori Maley

Lori Maley 

President & CEO 
Bank of Bird-in-Hand 

Maley’s primary duties involve working closely with the bank’s board of directors to establish bank policy and implement the board’s directives. She is responsible for managing the bank’s resources to accomplish objectives in a manner that is consistent with the philosophy of the board. By helping to establish the overall culture of the bank, the bank has developed a culture that is cooperative, goal-oriented and welcoming of new ideas and perspective. 

Bank of Bird-in-Hand received its charter on Nov. 29, 2013. It was the first startup bank in the country since the Great Recession and the first new bank chartered in Pennsylvania in six years. “Joining this venture was a big risk, but without risk there is no reward,” Maley said. She joined the bank as chief financial officer in October 2013 and assumed the position of president and chief executive officer on March 1, 2017. 

“It was such an incredible honor and a privilege to be selected as part of the core team at this bank. It took a great deal of faith in the quality of our board and our professional management team for the community to entrust us with the startup capital of $17 million. With great trust comes great responsibility. The success in growing the bank is a testament both to the excellence of our personnel and the value that we deliver,” she said. 

Her most important life lesson: People, not asset size, are what makes a bank successful. “Our bank is a team effort. It requires communication and cooperation in the pursuit of our goals. My goal is to create a corporate culture where the work gets done but people are happy to show up in the morning. We work hard at the bank, but we also make time for recreation. Treating employees with respect and expecting the best from them have contributed greatly to the success of the bank,” Maley said. 

She likes to read horror and suspense novels and self-improvement books in her spare time, and she also enjoys working out in a home gym. “Reading and exercising allow me to stay mentally and physically fit to handle the many challenges that come with running a bank. I also have an assortment of animals that are always vying for attention: two German shorthaired pointers, three bearded dragons and a lorikeet parrot,” Maley said. 

This profile is part of CPBJ's Banking and Finance Power 30 list for 2021. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at cpbj.com or in our digital edition.