Executive edge: Michael Hobbs; Family business groomed KeyBank Colorado president.

• Author: Bronikowski, Lynn
• Position: Attitude at Altitude

Michael Hobbs, president of KeyBank Colorado, figures he was destined to be in banking.

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"From the time I was 7 years old going to work with my father and grandfather in the family business, I couldn't wait to start earning money," said Hobbs, who last month marked his 10-year anniversary with the 46-branch bank operation along the Front Range.

His family's small, Oklahoma City restaurant-supply business spanned three generations but has since been swallowed up by mega-suppliers, yet Hobbs still appreciates how it took him behind the scenes of small business--from sweeping alleyways between warehouses to painting on top of roofs in sweltering summer heat.

"My grandfather was big on not sitting around, and I remember doing work that he wouldn't have the hired help do," recalls Hobbs, who worked in the family business through graduation from Texas Christian University.

So it wasn't surprising when Hobbs was named president of KeyBank Colorado last fall that he took not a moment to let his promotion sink in.

"I committed myself to get to know who our teams are, and within the first 90 days I went out and visited every single bank from as far north as Sterling to as far south as Colorado Springs," said Hobbs. "I got to know who is driving our banks on a day-to-day basis and who the drivers in those communities are."

And when he came home to Denver he sent a hand-written note to each branch manager telling each of something he learned from his visit.

He also pledged to be active in the nonprofit sector, joining the board of the Denver-based I Have a Dream Foundation that helps children from low-income areas reach their education and career goals through mentoring and scholarship programs.

"I see a lot of people in an organization who get on five, six or seven boards and I think, 'What are they contributing?' I never wanted to waste my time or the board's time by just showing up," said Hobbs. "I want to be involved, and education--especially for those underprivileged--is what's near and dear to my heart.

"I've...