Robert Williams(he/him)

Robert Williams is a Director and CRA Lending and Investment Manager at Union Bank, and he's spent over 40 years working in banking and finance. His job sits at a unique intersection: he uses bank capital to invest in CDFIs — Community Development Financial Institutions — that make loans to small businesses in low- and moderate-income communities. In plain terms, he helps get money into neighborhoods and communities that traditional banks often overlook, creating real jobs with real benefits for real people. That work takes him into the heart of cities like New York, Chicago, and Seattle — straight into the communities that need economic investment most. Robert's career path wasn't a straight line. He started in Treasury Management, worked on national accounts with major corporations like GM and Ford, moved through multiple banks including Chase, Bank of America, and Key Bank, and even spent time wholesaling investment management services on the West Coast. He didn't know CRA lending existed when he was coming up — he stumbled into it through relationships and experience. His story is proof that your first job doesn't define your whole career, and that staying curious and building relationships opens doors you didn't even know were there. What makes Robert's story especially meaningful for students of color is that his work is deeply rooted in community impact. He's not just making money — he's putting capital into underserved neighborhoods, funding businesses that create living-wage jobs with health benefits and 401(k)s for people who look like him. He's doing well financially while doing good in the world, and he wants young people to know that path exists inside big financial institutions, not just at nonprofits. His advice is practical and direct: plan your week with intention, know what you want to accomplish, and don't get lost in the noise. He pushes students to get a finance or business education, find their passion early, and actively go seek out opportunities — because no one is going to hand them to you. He also points out that banks offer careers far beyond teller windows: marketing, strategic planning, audit, lending, investments — the whole range. For first-gen students especially, Robert's journey is a reminder that a family friend, a single conversation, and a willingness to ask 'what jobs are available for someone like me?' can set everything in motion. He got his start because he asked questions and knew what he was about. That same energy, he says, will take you a long way.