Her Story
About Mary
Mary Vicencio is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Vantage Bank Texas, a multi-billion-dollar financial institution with approximately $495 billion in assets. She is responsible for leading the bank’s backroom operations and lending functions, which serve as the operational backbone of the organization. In this role, she oversees large-scale operational infrastructure, ensuring efficiency, regulatory compliance, and seamless execution across key business lines that support both commercial and consumer banking.
She began her banking career in 1996 at entry level, starting by stuffing statements in a basement, and quickly moved into leadership within her first month. Over the course of nearly 30 years in the banking industry, she has held a wide range of roles spanning customer service, project management, and mergers and acquisitions. Her work has included leading complex conversions of legacy banking systems into modern core platforms, helping institutions transition through major operational and technological change. She reached the C-suite approximately eight to nine years ago and has since continued to expand her leadership scope, at one point managing a team of around 90 employees.
Throughout her career, Mary has built her leadership philosophy around empathy, accountability, and people-first management. She is a Latina from South Texas who emphasizes the importance of supporting and elevating the teams she leads, recognizing that sustained leadership is built on trust and service to others. She continues to invest in her own growth through ongoing learning and professional development, while also giving back to her organization and community. Her approach reflects a long-standing commitment to building strong teams, strengthening operational foundations, and continuously evolving as a leader within the banking industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
The only way that I was able to get to where I'm at today is because of the people people that I was able to lead, the people who have been that foundation for me. I lead with empathy, I lead with my heart, and I've always known that in order for me to be successful, it isn't just about me, it's about the people that I've been thankfully given to mentor and lead over the years. The secret sauce ultimately has been that I'm very aware that we don't get to any place or any kind of leadership role without really putting the people that work for you before you. I'm very people-positive as a leader. I also believe in being able to accept change and evolution - you must be able to pivot, no matter what's thrown at you. And I always invest in myself, continuing to build and learn and educate myself and give back, because just because I'm in the C-suite doesn't mean I'm done. In the midst of chaos, you're always going to find opportunity if you look for it. There is always opportunity, and I can probably write 10 books about the chaos that I've lived throughout my career and the opportunities that came because of that chaos.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
First, it starts with the people. You need to be a people-positive leader. The only way to be successful is to lead with empathy and lead with your heart, understanding that it isn't just about you - it's about the people you mentor and lead. Number two is be able to accept change and evolution. We live in a world that just changes overnight, and you must adapt. You must be able to pivot, no matter what's thrown at you. I tell my team there's a freight train coming, and if you can't be on that freight train, you're gonna fall off. You really need to make sure that you are adaptable and open to adapting and shifting. And number three is always invest in yourself. Make sure that you're investing in your own career. Just because you reach a certain level doesn't mean you're done - you continue to build and learn and educate yourself and give back. The hardest part of any job is the people - not the skill, not the knowledge, but the people you work with, work for, and who work for you. As a leader, if people think the ship is sinking and you buy into that, then by definition the people following you are going to see doom and gloom. I don't see life that way. I welcome change and accept it. In the midst of chaos, you're always going to find opportunity if you look for it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges right now involve how people handle change and the emotional aspects of leadership. When there are challenges, when there's change, when industries are being affected, and you have AI coming in now, people are fearful of losing their jobs. You begin to have fears set in, you have friction, you have people who are worried that their livelihoods are going to be affected. As a leader, I see myself as the one flying the plane, driving the bus, or the captain of the ship. If I buy into the fear that the ship is sinking, then by definition the people following me are going to see doom and gloom. But I don't see life that way. I don't see any change as negative - I welcome it and accept it and immediately begin to shift. In the midst of chaos, you're always going to find opportunity if you look for it. There is always opportunity. I started my banking career in statement stuffing, but I moved into mergers and acquisitions and conversions, converting many banks from old legacy systems to new core systems. That was challenging, but for me it was about looking for opportunity in that chaos.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Humanity is absolutely central to everything I do. When I meet with my team or have one-on-ones with my directs, we first and foremost talk about them how are you, how's the family, anything we need to talk about. If that's all well and good, then we move on to the job. I just think it's so important to make sure that we never forget that at the end of the day, we're all humans and we all have lives outside of our job. You can't walk in the door in the morning and leave all your baggage outside that door, because that doesn't happen. That's not reality. A lot of my time is truly spent talking to the teams and ensuring them that I care for not just the job that they're doing, but I care for them as a whole - as a family, their kids, whatever's going on in their world. I've had several employees diagnosed with cancer, and I tell them the job will always be here. We have to focus on what matters. I also believe deeply in giving back. I grew up very poor, and God has given me an amazing job and amazing resources, and it's my duty to give back. That's why I founded my charity and why I'm involved in so many community initiatives.
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