Ami Shaver

By Ty McClung

Growing up in Williamstown, WV, Ami Shaver always knew she wanted to be a leader.

A 1989 graduate of Williamstown High School, Shaver was involved in extracurricular activities and served as student body president. She says her early experience working in a restaurant provided her the skills she needs to succeed now.

“Working in a team setting, in a fast-paced environment, in a business with a focus on customer service really is the foundation for a number of different career paths,” Shaver says. “These universal skills are invaluable as you progress in your career.”

Her career with United Bank began as a shareholder relations analyst in 1995 after graduating from college. After two years with the company, she became Series 27 licensed in order to work for the newly formed United Brokerage Services where she stayed for the next 23 years.

In 2004, she took on an additional role of retail sales and service director, where she stayed for the next 16 years. In 2020, she moved to retail full time, managing all retail branch locations and customer care centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. After United Bank acquired the Carolina Financial Corporation, she was charged with the integration of 72 CresCom bank locations and training new employees.

“I can only really describe it as climbing Mt. Everest without any food or water, that’s how hard it was,” she says. “However, we made it to the other side and have continued to grow since.”

When United’s human resources director retired, Shaver was more than happy to take over the role. She again found herself overseeing two teams at United—retail and human resources—and the almost 3,000 employees. She recently handed off her role on the retail team and now serves as the executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

“In my current role, I work to strengthen and improve the culture across the organization through pay and benefits, performance management, learning and talent development, recruiting and on-boarding as well as reinforcing the core values of the company,” she says.

Shaver believes if she hadn’t volunteered to take the exam that the brokerage company needed, her career wouldn’t be the same.

“I had proven to my peers that I had what it takes to be an asset to the team, but I also proved to myself that I could take on a challenge and succeed,” she says.

Shaver is committed to community service and professional development. She has supported Habitat for Humanity and is currently involved in the Habitat MOV Women Build initiative. She also serves on the board of governors for West Virginia University at Parkersburg and represents United Bank on the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America. She attended the Graduate School of Banking at LSU and later served on its board of trustees as well as the board of trustees for the West Virginia School of Banking.

Shaver credits her late father-in-law, Holmes “Butch” Shaver, for being a lifelong mentor and advisor to her.

“Butch was such a positive force in my life, especially after losing my father at such an early age,” she says. “We had a great relationship and were honest with each other. If he thought I was making an unwise decision, not thinking something through completely or jumping in headfirst, he was quick to tell me.”

With her 30th anniversary at United coming up in June, Shaver says what keeps her going is the responsibility she feels to her employees and her family and their influence on hard work.

“I expect them to work hard, so in turn I work hard,” she says. “I am not afraid of hard work and am always looking for ways to make things better.”