Member Profile Beau Cummins: A Career of True Value

 

 Written by: Xan-Rhea Bilal

Program Intern, World Affairs Council of Atlanta
Student, Georgia State University
Published: 6/11/2018

 Beau Cummins is the co-chief operating officer of SunTrust Banks, Inc where he leads the Wholesale division and loves it. He has had an eventful career in banking and the past year and a half is no exception. In February 2017, he was named Wholesale division Executive, bringing to bear his years of experience as head of both SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and  head of Commercial & Business Banking also at SunTrust. When asked about his numerous positions at SunTrust and other financial institutions, he makes sure to always emphasize the importance of clients and, their relationship to the financial team. Understanding the needs of clients with business models of various sizes and pairing them with SunTrust team members best equipped to meet these needs, are how Mr. Cummins says Wholesale delivers on SunTrust’s purpose of “Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being”. 

When asked about how clients are looking to grow their businesses here in Atlanta, Mr. Cummins stressed the human aspect of company development, saying that the “ease of business is more than taxes or regulations – it’s can I hire or attract smart workers? Can I ship my goods easily? Can my workers and clients get to the office easily?" He went on to also mention the fact that Atlanta is indeed a pro-business, international city with a lot of opportunities and room for growth. This is thanks to our community leaders—lawmakers included-- that have incentivized companies from both the U.S. and abroad, to have their headquarters in Atlanta. There is still room for improvement however, Mr. Cummins points out that improving investment in education, transportation and, infrastructure is central to Atlanta’s growth and competitiveness. SunTrust has supported this through its involvement in the revitalization of the Westside and Ponce City Market.   

Given that global finance is so interconnected, Mr. Cummins strives to always be ahead of the curve in ensuring SunTrust clients have the tools to succeed in the global market. “I wake up every day making sure we have a competitive advantage”, he says. SunTrust does this by looking at innovations not only in the financial sector but, in all industries. One great way that Mr. Cummins has found to drive innovation is through dialogue; that is where the World Affairs Council comes in. Beau Cummins is a board member for the World Affairs Council he says because, the council challenges how many think about global issues along with driving professional development and enrichment. He personally enjoyed programing on the role central banks play in the integrated North American economy and, hearing from the Central Bank of Mexico about how they stimulated economic growth. The Council provides a rare environment for people from various industries and walks of life, from students to CEO’s, to converge in one place and share perspectives on current and relevant issues. He finds that this is a significant way to not only strengthen SunTrust's Wholesale division, but also to enhance the Atlanta community through positive and informative conversations. 

As one of these lucky students that get the opportunity to participate in the Council, I asked Mr. Cummins what advice he had found most meaningful when starting a career, the answer I received was simple but quite profound. “Whatever you’re doing you need to know why." This purpose, he says is “a key element of a successful career, finding something you are passionate about, which will allow you to be authentic." Mr. Cummins believes this is what SunTrust does by Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being; enabling people to find the true value of their endeavors, whether it is buying a house or getting a degree. It is apparent that Beau Cummins loves what he does, but when he is not working towards realizing the SunTrust purpose, he also enjoys nature and is an avid snowboarder.