President & CEO, City National Bank and City Holding Company
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By Jessica Chambers
While Charles “Skip” Hageboeck may have grown up in Indiana, he is a man that exhibits the true spirit of West Virginia. As the president and CEO of City National Bank and City Holding Company, Hageboeck is a hardworking individual who not only prioritizes serving his community but encourages those around him to do the same.
Born and raised in the Hoosier State, Hageboeck credits an active childhood with teaching him lessons in self-discipline and the value of a strong work ethic, which has translated into his career in banking. The pieces started coming together at a summer program he attended at Wabash University during which a professor introduced him to the field of economics. From there, Hageboeck was inspired to pursue a Ph.D. in economics and later entered the commercial banking field.
Hageboeck began his career at INB Financial Corporation in 1987. While there, he was exposed to the management team’s strong emphasis on mentoring. By providing opportunities for employees to develop skills and encouraging them to ask questions, the management team enabled Hageboeck to develop the skills that have allowed him to be successful in life. The experience also sparked within him a passion for mentoring others.
“There is a lot of untapped talent in the workplace ready and able to take on new challenges if only we provide the opportunity, and this is something our state needs to remember,” he says. “West Virginia is absolutely blessed with strong, talented and resilient people, and if we create a business environment where our people can flourish, they will step up and grow our state.”
Hageboeck says it’s his tenacity, self-reliance and creativity—with just enough self-doubt to be aware of his ability to make mistakes—that have had the greatest influence on his success. His greatest obstacle, he says, has been his Ph.D. “Many people’s initial reaction to hiring a Ph.D. was a sense that I was somehow overqualified,” he recalls. “Now I think of it as an asset, but in the beginning, it was a liability I had to proactively address.”
When it comes to community service, finding organizations where his skills can be an asset is a key factor for him. He has devoted time and resources to a variety of organizations, including serving on the board of the West Virginia Bankers Association and Thomas Health System. Hageboeck’s involvement with USA Swimming stems from his children being competitive swimmers. He is one of only a few nationally certified swimming officials in the state, making him qualified to conduct USA-sanctioned swim events. He has also been active with the Young Presidents’ Organization, known as YPO; George Washington High School’s Project Graduation and Christ United Methodist Church, and he has served as a unit leader with the Boy Scouts.
Hageboeck’s passion for promoting the arts in the community is reflected in the 10 years he spent as treasurer of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He is also passionate about the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and its role in advocating for a strong business climate to help retain and grow jobs in the state. Within the chamber, Hageboeck, who serves on the board’s executive committee, has taken a special interest in education and creating an environment where children can succeed. “Providing an excellent education for our children is critical and one of City’s focal areas for community involvement,” he says.
In West Virginia, Hageboeck sees endless opportunities for community service. “Having grown up in a large city, what I really appreciate about West Virginia is our small towns and cities—places where you can feel truly connected to people and organizations and where you can immediately see the results of getting involved with organizations dedicated to making our communities stronger,” he says. “Beyond my personal desire to help organizations and causes that I care deeply about, it is also important for me to set a good example for City’s employees as well as my children so they will also be involved in their communities.”
1983 – Graduated from Butler University
1988 – Began first job as a financial analyst at Indiana National Bank
1991 – Completed a Ph.D. in economics
1994 – Became CFO of Peoples Bank of Indianapolis
2000 – Joined Roche Diagnostics USA as director of forecasting
2001 – Joined City National Bank and City Holding Company as CFO during a financial turnaround
2002 – Completed the turnaround of City National Bank
2005 – Named president, CEO and director of City National Bank and City Holding Company and completed the acquisition of Classic Bank, expanding City into Kentucky
2012 – Named to “Who’s Who in West Virginia Business”
2013 – Expanded City into Virginia with two bank acquisitions in Winchester and Staunton, VA
2014 – Named chairman of the WV Bankers Association
2015 – Expanded City into Lexington, KY
