The average CEO approval rating on Glassdoor is 69 percent. NBKC Bank’s Brian Unruh is rated at 98 percent.
Because of his high rating, Unruh was named one of 2018’s top CEOs in North America and parts of Europe. He is the only CEO in the metro area to make the list.
“The award speaks to our culture, which is made up of the 325 people and what they do every day. To even call it a CEO award feels a bit strange, but I know collectively we are honored and proud,” Unruh said via email. “From a truly personal level, it is humbling and reinforces the fact that I’m very blessed to be in a leadership role with incredibly talented people doing really cool things.”
The awards, which were announced in June on Glassdoor’s website, ranked the top 50 executives for small to medium-sized businesses, of which NBKC Bank qualifies, and the top 100 for large companies. Unruh, a first-time recipient, is ranked at No. 22.
The jobs and recruiting site said the winners were based on approved company reviews between May 2017 and May 2018. Eligible CEOs of small to medium-sized businesses must have at least 35 reviews from employees who rate the company on various factors such as the job interview process, salary, benefits and company culture.
The website site said more than 770,000 employers were reviewed on Glassdoor.
Unruh said he cares deeply about the customer and employee experience. In fact, he responds to each Glassdoor, Yelp, Zillow and Indeed review.
And yes, it is him.
“I’ve worked this into my schedule, and it is one of the things I really enjoy doing because I learn from reading what our customers and employees are saying,” Unruh said. “Having transparency, even when it might not be at our best, represents honesty. We never have things completely figured out, and to represent to our customers and employees that we do is disingenuous – people are inherently fair if they feel like there is an earnestness and authenticity behind actions.”
This award is part of a recent string of big accomplishments for NBKC Bank, including the move last year into their new state-of-the-art headquarters at 8320 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, Mo.
What’s next
Unruh said the bank aims to expand its digital footprint nationally, offering consumer and small business products in the same manner as the bank’s online mortgage services.
“Our philosophy is to have a streamlined, market-leading product lineup with regard to experience, speed, low/no fees and overall value,” Unruh said. “That means competing with the giants in financial services, but we relish the challenge!”
The bank recently announced the creation of Fountain City Fintech, an accelerator program that will provide a $50,000 investment to early-stage financial technology startups in exchange for two to four percent equity. The inaugural class will start Oct. 1.
Unruh, one of the co-founders of NBKC Bank, has been CEO for the past 11 years. In addition to its headquarters, the bank has locations in Overland Park, Liberty and Leawood.
While he’s honored to be on the list, Unruh jokes that he knows what to do to advance in the rankings: “We only have one keg in our auditorium. I’m betting if we put wine on tap, our numbers would rocket up even more!”
