Each day, we will profile an innovative leader who was selected for the 2026 edition of Az Business Leaders magazine. Today, meet John Damiris, Arizona region president for UMB Bank.
John Damiris, president, Arizona region, UMB Bank
Background: Damiris is president of the Arizona Region at UMB. As the regional president of UMB Bank, Damiris oversees the financial institution’s commercial banking team and will focus on continued business development and growth. He provides support to grow all areas of the bank, including helping find new clients and top talent to expand the Bank’s presence in the market. He joined UMB Bank in 2004 and was instrumental in driving the financial institution’s growth in Arizona.
Upcoming challenge: “The biggest challenge in banking is the continued influx of private equity groups buying middle-market companies. Given the quality of businesses we bank, these entities constantly call on our customers for acquisitions or mergers. We’ve built several loan platforms to help with these transactions and provide resources to market companies.”
Leadership lesson: “Invest in people. We have built an incredible commercial bank, and our growth and strength are due to the talent and dedication of our people. Change is constant in our industry, but UMB is very proud that our average employee tenure is twice that of the industry.”
Surprising fact: “I’m a third-generation American. Three of my four grandparents immigrated from Greece in their late teens. They instilled core values of hard work and the importance of education, and my parents impressed those values onto me and my sisters.”
Learn more: umb.com
