This exec worked her way up to Truist’s top job in Georgia. Here’s how.
Katie Saez didn’t know what she wanted to do when she graduated college with a business degree.
But the University of Florida alumna got a spot in the SunTrust commercial banking training program and found herself quickly learning the ins-and-outs of the business world.
Over the next couple of decades, Saez advanced through the ranks of the bank and played a key role in integrating systems when SunTrust merged with BB&T in 2019 to form Truist Bank.
And since 2022, Saez has held Charlotte-based Truist’s top job in the Peach State as Georgia regional president, with a corner office inside the Truist Plaza skyscraper in downtown Atlanta.
Though the bank’s corporate headquarters are now in North Carolina, Truist still has thousands of employees in Georgia with about 205 branches. Atlanta continues to play a critical role for the bank with two Atlanta corporate offices — one at Truist Plaza with commercial banking, wealth management and some corporate departments including finance, marketing and technology; and one for Truist Securities at Five Ballpark Center near Truist Park, with investment banking and corporate banking teams.
In her role, Saez leads Truist’s commercial banking teams in Georgia and Alabama, and also represents the bank on boards such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Junior Achievement of Georgia.
But another key area she is focused on is the impact of artificial intelligence.
“It’s this intersection of people and AI,” Saez said. “It is fundamentally changing how we deliver advice, ideas and solutions to the market.”
She said AI can be used to enhance that work, and she’s “also trying to invest in myself” as an AI-driven leader.
“I use (AI) all day long, personally and professionally,” she said, giving it prompts such as inputting a client plan and asking for advice on how to effectively give a client guidance based on the plan. “It helps me frame up how I’m going to deliver that advice for this meeting,” she said.
When she asks for examples of what to discuss at an upcoming meeting with a particular client, Microsoft Copilot goes through her email inbox and knows the last time she met with the client and “brings me real ideas,” she said.
“Before I meet with a candidate I’m interviewing, I will say, you know: Tell me everything that’s publicly available on this person,” Saez said. Right now, “I am using AI as an assistant. … What I’m challenging myself to do is use AI in an agentic way to help proactively push things to me without me prompting.”
She said she also has the advantage of years of experience that have given her “the judgment that I can apply on top of what AI has given me.”
And, she said, “Every industry is still very people-based, and it’s about relationships and connecting people.”
So, “How do you just protect that human personal element in the workplace?” Saez said. That’s “really important to me.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sat down with Saez, who shared her morning routine, her favorite place for a business lunch and a mistake she learned from when joining a new team.
Edited for length and clarity.
What is your morning routine?
I’m an early riser. I usually get up at 4:15. I have a running group that I have run with for over 10 years now. I either meet them at 5 or 5:15 and we go running in the morning, or about two days a week I’ll do an Orangetheory class.
So I get up, try to get some exercise in, try to get some girl time in. I get home, do a load of laundry, make a cup of coffee, get ready. I usually listen to a news podcast (The Daily) in the morning when I’m getting ready.
And then, I’m in the office or out on the road meeting with clients.
What was your career goal when you were in college?
I went into school pre-med. And organic chemistry got me good, and I had a crisis moment. My dad came to school and marched me into the registrar’s office, and was like: You shall be a business major. That’s how I ended up in business.
Do you meet young people who want to follow in a career path similar to yours, and what advice do you give them?
I share the things that I think are really important for how they should show up and how they shouldn’t.
Always be the most prepared person in the room, even if you’re the most junior person in that room. You need to walk in knowing something that you’re going to contribute.
When I went through the training program, we went through business etiquette training. We had diagrams of what you wore and did not wear. It’s different today.
What’s one mistake you’ve made that transformed how you approached your career?
A big mistake that I made was joining a new team as the leader of the team, thinking that what made me successful or effective in my prior role would translate to that team.
So I came in with a set of routines, a style, an approach that was so based upon my prior experience, without taking the time to really understand the unique nuances and needs and culture and specialness of that team. And I lost a lot of trust, and I had to rebuild that.
Where’s your favorite restaurant for a business lunch?
I’ll tell you, the most unique way that you can have a business lunch is to go to one of the day games at the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park. But there’s only four weekday day games this season.
Some people call them the gentleman’s special, or the workday special. It’s the best way to take in lunch with clients or colleagues. They’re always so fun.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Never eat lunch at your desk by yourself. It’s all about relationships that you build, and you don’t build relationships with a salad box. So every day, make an effort to get out from your cubicle or your office, get away from your desk, and go — even if you bring in your lunch, go enjoy it with a friend, a colleague, someone you’ve never met with before.
AJC Her+Story is a series in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighting women founders, creators, executives and professionals. It is about building a community. Know someone the AJC should feature in AJC Her+Story? Email us at herstory@ajc.com with your suggestions. Check out more of our AJC Her+Story coverage at ajc.com/herstory.