Commerce Bank's leader in Colorado stays focused on serving more customers.
When you ask Darren Lemkau, president and CEO, Commerce Bank, Colorado, about the work he does, he will immediately talk about helping others.
“A big part of my role is doing everything I can to help everyone else on our team do their jobs,”he says. “I support them in the process of serving our customers well. I’m here to make sure everyone on our team has access to what they need and has all the tools the bank has to offer.”
Lemkau has been in his role since joining Commerce in 2013, and he says he’s enjoyed helping the bank grow its presence in its westernmost region. “Commerce has given me the opportunity to do so much more than I did in my previous roles at other banks,” he says.
“It was good timing to join when I did, because over the past 10 to 15 years, banking has changed, particularly in the commercial banking space. We have so much more to offer new customers today. It used to focus mostly on lending, but now we can pair that with services like payments that can really help our customers’ business.”
After starting his career at a Chicago-based bank, where he eventually focused on helping to open new loan offices, Lemkau was glad to take on a much broader role at Commerce. “Commerce wanted to make a bigger commitment to the Denver market than my previous bank did,” he says. “They wanted to offer a wider range of services, and that really attracted me. We have not only invested in these services from a technology standpoint, but also from a people standpoint.”
Kyle Area, a senior vice president and team leader at Commerce, has worked with Lemkau during the latter’s entire tenure at the bank. “When Darren arrived, our focus on mid-sized and larger companies grew,” he says. “That was the kind of experience he brought to the table. And we’ve added quite a few of those kinds of businesses as customers since Darren has been our market leader.”
Attracting and working with new customers is something Lemkau says he truly enjoys. “I like helping to grow Commerce’s presence,” he says.
“We attract new customers because we offer value that can help them achieve their own goals. Building those relationships with potential customers can take a long time, and it’s something I really enjoy.”
Lemkau believes collaboration is a key element in his team’s success. “I enjoy working with people to solve problems and build consensus,” he says. “I like hearing lots of opinions when we’re trying to identify our best path forward. I try to get a lot of people involved, and not just here in Denver – I often consult with colleagues in other regions to identify best practices and to hear other perspectives.”
As Area notes, Lemkau is also the type of leader who’s willing to roll up his sleeves to support his team members. “Darren is always more than willing to jump in and help in any sort of role that’s needed,” he says. “He also will often think of something that I or one of my team members didn’t, and it’s always really helpful. Otherwise, he trusts everybody to do their jobs and do them well. Everybody appreciates a manager like that.”
Area says Lemkau’s strategic approach is also valuable to the team in Denver. “He really helps us set our strategy in terms of how we want to grow and the kinds of customers we want to serve,” Area says. “He brings a great perspective to his role.”
That perspective has helped Commerce’s presence in Colorado grow not only in terms of size, but also in the depth of services the bank provides to customers. “I’m proud of the way we’ve diversified our products,” Lemkau says. “When you start in a new market, like Commerce did in Denver in 2007, you’re starting from zero. We’ve been successful in growing in a way that is based on a combination of loans, payments, mortgages, investing — it’s a nice mix for our customers.”
Away from the office, Lemkau is an atypical Denver resident in that he skis only occasionally. “I’m from the Midwest and am more of a boater. “But boating can be bit of a challenge here, so I often go to the neighboring states, where they have more boating opportunities.
Lemkau is also involved in the community, serving on the board of Brent’s Place, which provides housing for children undergoing bone marrow transplants. “It provides safe, clean housing for kids who are immunocompromised because of their treatments,” he says. “Even a common cold can be bad for them, so Brent’s Place is really providing a great service.”
As he looks ahead to the future for Commerce Bank in Colorado, Lemkau is focused on growth. “We always want to serve more clients,” he says.
“We also want to get more deeply involved in specific industries, like healthcare, contractors and a few others. If we can bring more solutions to more customers, leveraging all the bank’s capabilities, we’ll be successful.”
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