Idaho Wells Fargo President: Working for the Whole

Last Tuesday, Wells Fargo President and CEO Tim Sloan sat before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for a full committee hearing titled “Wells Fargo: One Year Later." Nearly a week later, Wells Fargo’s Idaho Regional President of Operations is saying that though the unauthorized activity didn’t surface in Idaho, his numbers are reflecting the mishap.

“In Idaho, we didn’t do that,” Don Melendez, Idaho Regional President of Operations told the Idaho Statesman. “We were good folks up here. But I work for Wells Fargo. I own this, and it’s up to us to help people regain their trust in us. And not just customers, but our team.”

Over the 84 branches in Idaho and 6,003 across the country, Melendez said Wells Fargo has made many positive changes, but have to stay on top of working toward a company where issues like these don’t happen again.

“Rebuilding trust is one thing that is critical to our success,” Melendez said. “I don’t think people need to believe us right now. I think we’re going to have to earn that belief.”

According to Senator John Tester (D-Montana) during the hearing, since the first report of unauthorized accounts, Wells Fargo’s banking practices have affected 4.3 million customers. Though Sloan explained the many ways Wells Fargo is changing company culture to amend the issues, Senator Elizabeth Warren said the change couldn't just be at the retail banking locations; it needs to go from the executive level down and called for Sloan’s removal.

"At best you were incompetent, at worst you were complicit," Warren said. "Either way, you should be fired."

Melendez said that customers in Boise and other Idaho towns are still concerned with their local banker.

“We had customers coming in and making sure their teller was OK and their banker was OK,” Melendez said. “That’s because taking care of customers for the right reasons builds that kind of relationship.”