Julie Carstensen Joins Merchants Bank as Chief Operations/Process Officer
News
| 09.05.2025
Julie Carstensen has joined Merchants Bank as Senior Vice President/Chief Operations/Process Officer according to Greg Evans, President & Chief Executive Officer.
“We continue to believe strongly that customer experience is our only true differentiator in what is a very competitive banking environment,” said Evans. “In today’s digital world, that differentiation is reliant on having great people who are enabled with relevant technology and well-defined processes designed with our customers in mind. Julie’s vast expertise will be a great asset as we continue to drive a mission-focused commitment to operational excellence in support of our extraordinary banking team.”
Carstensen has spent her career in bank operations, with nearly two decades of experience in process optimization and efficiency, strategic execution and banking standardization and alignment. She was previously SVP/Manager, Consumer Operations for UMB Bank in Kansas City, MO, which acquired HTLF where she led bank operations for more than 15 years. Over her tenure, she has overseen branch optimization and operational risk and led large-scale change initiatives. She will help Merchants ensure banking operations run smoothly, efficiently and with the customer in mind to drive meaningful impact.
“I’m excited to be coming back to a community banking organization where I can use my experience to make impactful change,” shared Carstensen. “It’s been wonderful to see how engaged the employees of the Merchants team are and how they embrace process improvement to enhance the customer experience.”
Carstensen earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Iowa.
Merchants Bank is a full service community bank with bank locations in southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin and a leasing division, Merchants Bank Equipment Finance, in Edina. Headquartered in Winona, MN, MFGI has more than $2.7 billion in assets. Merchants was founded in 1875.
“We continue to believe strongly that customer experience is our only true differentiator in what is a very competitive banking environment,” said Evans. “In today’s digital world, that differentiation is reliant on having great people who are enabled with relevant technology and well-defined processes designed with our customers in mind. Julie’s vast expertise will be a great asset as we continue to drive a mission-focused commitment to operational excellence in support of our extraordinary banking team.”
Carstensen has spent her career in bank operations, with nearly two decades of experience in process optimization and efficiency, strategic execution and banking standardization and alignment. She was previously SVP/Manager, Consumer Operations for UMB Bank in Kansas City, MO, which acquired HTLF where she led bank operations for more than 15 years. Over her tenure, she has overseen branch optimization and operational risk and led large-scale change initiatives. She will help Merchants ensure banking operations run smoothly, efficiently and with the customer in mind to drive meaningful impact.
“I’m excited to be coming back to a community banking organization where I can use my experience to make impactful change,” shared Carstensen. “It’s been wonderful to see how engaged the employees of the Merchants team are and how they embrace process improvement to enhance the customer experience.”
Carstensen earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Iowa.
Merchants Bank is a full service community bank with bank locations in southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin and a leasing division, Merchants Bank Equipment Finance, in Edina. Headquartered in Winona, MN, MFGI has more than $2.7 billion in assets. Merchants was founded in 1875.
