Lunch with a Leader

Bank CEO Preaches Service over Greed

Michael Welch, the CEO of UniBank, was the fall semester’s Lunch with a Leader speaker. Welch, a Marquette graduate, obtained two master’s degrees from Boston College.

He started his talk by explaining that his father died in front of him when he was only 12 years old. This incident drove him to never take life for granted and to wake up each morning ready to “punch life in the mouth.” Welch also explained that he was raised in a matriarchal family with a mother, grandmother, and aunt who all stressed the importance of service. They did not care what he was going to do, but focused on who he was going to become.

After graduating from Marquette, Welch moved to South Dakota and began working as a volunteer and teacher at the Pine Ridge Reservation for $100 a month. A Jesuit at Marquette had mentioned the idea to him and he jumped on it. What he thought would be a one-year stay turned into four years after he fell in love with the work he was doing there. He stressed that “volunteers get the best seat on the bus” and it is important to take risks and sign up for opportunities even if you are not sure what your role will be.

Welch eventually returned to Boston and after grad school was hired as an assistant principal and later became headmaster at Saint John’s High School. Reflecting on these roles, he discussed how gaining power in institutions can corrupt people and how giving back once you achieve success reflects love.

Welch also explained that leaders can stay too long in one place and lose their impact. This was why he left Saint John’s after 15 years and returned to the reservation to give back. Recently, when his father-in-law became ill, he moved back to Boston so his family could be close by, and was offered the job at UniBank. Even though he had no experience as a banker, they were impressed with his leadership skills. In his current role, he has been able to continue in service by serving the community—providing capital to poor families. When asked about retirement plans, Welch stated that he plans to retire in South Dakota on that reservation, the place that gives him purpose.

Christopher Murphy ’20, Winston Ambassador