Finding Purpose

At the outset of her address, Ms. Shipley confessed to the 298 graduates that banking wasn’t even in her plans when she started college. Growing up, she wanted to be a doctor. Midway through her studies at the University of Notre Dame, though, Ms. Shipley took an organic chemistry class—and had an epiphany.

“Let’s just say, I’m a banker and not a doctor,” Ms. Shipley said with smile.

After productive stints with PNC and The Royal Bank of Scotland/Citizens Bank, Ms. Shipley now is president of Huntington Bank’s Pennsylvania, Ohio Valley, and Mahoning Valley Region. Her curriculum vitae is laden with roles on high-impact boards and committees, such as The Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Catholic Charities’ Campaign for Compassion Corner. She frequently appears on the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Power 100 list, which fetes the region’s most influential business leaders.

And here's one more for the list: the Saint Vincent College Presidential Medal of Honor. Ms. Shipley received the award— which marks extraordinary service and leadership to profession, community, family, church, or education—from Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., C’87, S’91, president of the College.

“Susie, from your childhood, you have followed your calling to make an impact,” Father Paul said. “You have broken through barriers. You have followed your inner voice, which enables you to live your life in a way that is consistent with your beliefs. It is your personal impact and dedication to this area and this institution that makes you such a deserving recipient of this award.”

Recently, Huntington Bank and Saint Vincent College have begun forging strong ties that will lead to transformative benefits for the bank, the College, and the region. Ms. Shipley has been at the center of those efforts. “She has always been a friend to the Bearcats,” said SVC interim athletic director and men’s basketball coach D.P. Harris, C’13. “Susie is a cheerleader for Catholic education, and humility is in her DNA.”

After getting her bachelor’s degree in pre-professional studies from Notre Dame in 1986, Ms. Shipley got a Rotary Club scholarship to study at Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. “During that special year, I built relationships with Spanish Rotarians who ran a myriad of different business and who all lived [the idea of] service above self,” she said in her commencement address. “I began to understand my calling—a business career that would enable me to live my Catholic faith to serve others. That’s how I found my purpose when I answered the call to become a banker.”