When Mike Moore was wrapping up his Army service, he didn’t necessarily expect he’d be working with his mom. He did know he wanted to work in the technology field, and that he and his wife would move back to Kansas City to start a family. So, when an opportunity in Information Technology (IT) at Commerce Bank popped up, he took it.

And during the first fifteen years at Commerce, many people called him “Susan Moore’s son,” but he didn’t mind.

Mike had grown up visiting his mom at work, where she managed Commerce Bank’s properties. When he went in for his interview, he was shocked to see that many of the people he remembered from back then were still at the bank. “It created a level of comfort that I didn’t expect,” Mike recalls.

In the Army, Mike had served on a small counterintelligence team in Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He doesn’t give many details about the work he did, but he has plenty to say about the people with whom he served. “Yes, we had a senior leader, but we truly worked together as a team,” Mike says. “When we were out there trying to do whatever it was we wanted to accomplish there wasn’t any one person who was truly in charge.”

Early on, Mike didn’t think he had learned much in the military. But when he accepted an opportunity managing the Project Office, which at the time made sure IT projects were in line with business goals, he realized how much he had learned after all. He set to work forming a team that would help him build what is now called the IT Business Office.

The IT Business Office includes a project management office, developer associate program, Agile training program, advisory services team, and the IT governance group. Between them, the groups run major strategic technology projects, recruit and train new developers, help senior leaders make technology decisions, and train groups across the organization in Agile methodology. Oh, and they still make sure IT systems are in line with business goals.

“Individually, [the Business Office team leaders] get things done,” Mike says, “But they’re even more powerful when they work together as a team.”

Technology is constantly changing, and it’s more integral to business than ever. It’s important that Mike’s team moves quickly. They’re able to collaborate, take calculated risks and quickly pivot if they determine an idea isn’t worth investing in. Together, they serve as the flexible powerhouse helping Commerce remain nimble and make strategic decisions.

But Mike remains humble: “It’s easy. When you have a group of top performers you just need to remove roadblocks and get out of their way.” Even so, Susan is probably pretty proud.

Team members like Mike demonstrate the purpose behind Mission: Hire, the recruitment program that helps veterans and part-time service members transition to a career at Commerce. When veterans and service members choose Commerce, we are the ones to truly benefit. Mike is just one example of the outstanding team members adding value to our business every day.

To learn more about the Mission:Hire program, please visit our website.

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