Chief Operating Officer & Regional President
United Bank Inc.
Photo by Rick Lee.
By Maggie Matsko
Henry Kayes, chief operating officer and regional president of United Bank, is a man whose dedication to his customers and loyalty to the companies he has served have propelled him to the top of the banking industry.
His career began in 1986 when he was hired as a bank teller for First Union National Bank in North Carolina. “From that job, I learned to be on time and not waste others’ time,” he says. “I also learned to be reliable, deliver on what I commit to and not be all talk and no action.”
With those lessons in mind, Kayes began building a lifelong career in the banking industry. He served as the senior vice president and market president for BB&T in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, and in 2001, he became a co-founder of Centra Bank-Martinsburg, where he went on to serve as president from 2001-2012 and participate in the overall company growth to $1.3 billion in assets. He joined United Bank in 2012, and in his current role, he oversees the business operations of 79 offices in West Virginia; Pennsylvania; Hagerstown, MD; Winchester, VA; Harrisonburg, VA; and Charlottesville, VA.
Kayes attributes his success in the banking industry, in part, to individuals like Doug Leech, Dan Stegall and Bob Baronner who helped shape his career. In particular, Centra Bank’s board of directors had a lasting impact on him. “When we started Centra Bank in 2001, we assembled a board of directors that was a who’s who of leaders in the Eastern Panhandle,” he says. “As president, I became very close to each one in different ways, and all of them taught me their respective tricks of the trade. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with such a proven and successful group, and I remain grateful to this day for all 12 of them.”
While his career has not been unaffected by challenges, he quickly realized the vital support his co-workers could provide in addressing those challenges. “Early on, I learned I could not continue to be a leader if I continued to do everything myself,” he says. “I had to learn to delegate, and that has made all the difference.”
In addition to holding high-ranking positions, Kayes says his greatest professional achievement has been striking a balance between work and family. “I have had the chance to see my two daughters grow up in the town in which they were born while being able to remain in a profession I enjoy and work for great companies,” he says.
In addition to taking care of his customers, he also utilizes opportunities within his community to serve those around him. “If you are going to be successful in banking, you have to give back. It’s just that simple,” he says. “Customers follow an organization that is deeply rooted and involved in the community. I believe Martinsburg is only as good as the way we take care of our less fortunate, and I feel that myself, my family and our bank need to do our part.”
Through his commitment to his community, he serves as a member of Shepherd University’s board of governors, a board member for WVU Medicine, an annual participant in the Berkeley County Youth Fair and a volunteer for the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival. He has also invested time and energy in the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation.
For the past 16 years, Kayes has been invested in the positive changes and growth of West Virginia and strongly believes the people of the Mountain State are what keep this passion alive. “The individuals I work alongside in my profession, my neighbors in the Eastern Panhandle and the people who make up the clientele of United Bank are what make West Virginia the best place to live and work.”
1986 Hired as a bank teller at First Union National Bank
1990 Graduated from Elon University with a degree in economics
1990 Hired by One Valley Bank as a collector
2001 Named president of Centra Bank and chief credit officer of Centra Financial Holdings
2010 Named regional vice president of United Bank after its acquisition of Centra Bank
2014 Named chief operating officer of United Bank
2017 Named a board member of WVU Medicine
2017 Appointed to Shepherd University’s board of governors
