Richard M. Adams Jr.

CEO, United Bankshares, Inc.

Photo by Ashley Maone Photography.

By Jamie Null

As the CEO of United Bankshares, Inc., the parent company of United Bank, a position previously held by both his father and grandfather, Richard Adams Jr. is carrying on a family legacy.

Adams did not intend to follow in his father’s footsteps. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Rollins College in Florida and attending law school at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, he began his career in the legal field, meeting many influential people along the way. However, he holds a special place in his heart for his father, who has made the greatest impact, and eventually found himself at United Bank.

“I’ve grown up watching him build the company since it was a one office bank in Parkersburg, and I’ve worked in that organization now for 28 years, even working directly for him in the last few years,” Adams says. “While it wasn’t always easy working for my dad, I’ve learned a great deal from him and cherish the time we spent working together. He left big shoes to fill.”

Adams grew up in both West Virginia and North Carolina. After he graduated from law school, he aspired to return to West Virginia to make a difference. Before he made his way to United, Adams’ first job after law school was with the firm Bowles Rice LLP working in its commercial practice group.

“I had a great experience in that first job and learned many important things,” he says. “I had a seasoned senior partner who I worked for named Jack Bailey who brought a practicality and a common sense approach to the practice of law—something you don’t really get in law school and something I think is so important for young lawyers. David Hardesty was also a partner in the firm, and I learned much about leadership from him. Tom Heywood impressed upon me the importance of being involved in activities and organizations that promote economic development and help shape the political landscape in West Virginia.”

When Adams had the opportunity to join United in 1994, he was finally home.

“My grandfather ran the bank in the 60s and early 70s, and my father became the CEO in the late 70s,” he recalls. “I never wanted to be a banker, but I did care a lot about the company because of the family connection, so when I had an opportunity to join the bank as an attorney, I decided to do it.”

Adams’ path to becoming CEO included a succession of distinct positions—both legal and non-legal, such as most recently serving as the United Bankshares president.

“Being at the company for 28 years, and serving in many capacities, I have learned numerous things from each job I’ve done,” he says. “I have enjoyed a variety of different areas and have been able to keep my hand in legal matters while also experiencing things like sales and management.”

Adams believes his work on legislation is the area where his legal work has had the greatest impact.

“Through my work with various state banking associations, the American Bankers Association and other industry groups, I have long been involved in advancing common sense legislation at the state and federal level that is pro-banking and promotes economic development,” he says.

United Bankshares, Inc., is a publicly traded company with 250 locations in eight states and Washington, D.C., with 3,000 employees. Adams is in charge of managing day-to-day challenges and making sure United carries out its mission of excellence in service to its constituents—shareholders, customers, communities and employees. Adams says his role as CEO of West Virginia’s oldest and largest headquartered publicly traded company inspires him to try and create change in the private sector and West Virginia as a whole.

“It also inspires me to have the opportunity to work with and lead our employees. It’s a big responsibility, and one I enjoy and greatly value,” he says. “It is the chance to lead the same company that my grandfather and father led before me. The family connection, the West Virginia connection and the connection with our employees makes this a special opportunity for me.”

While Adams excels professionally and personally, his competitive spirit also drives him to work hard. In his experience, challenging work is a common denominator of successful people.

“By and large, West Virginians are hard workers,” he says.

Even with its impressive growth, Adams is proud of the company’s commitment to stay involved in the communities it serves. He is active in the company’s Leadership Development Program and is passionate about recruiting and developing talent, which gives the company a competitive advantage.

“Even though we’ve grown from a one office community bank in Parkersburg to become one of the larger banks in the country, we have stayed true to our community bank roots and are committed to giving back to the communities we serve,” says Adams. “This is a key part of our mission as a company. I like to say we’ve been able to get big and stay small, and it’s my job to make sure that doesn’t change.”

United was also ahead of the industry in relation to creating a diversity, equity and inclusion department.

“We were one of the early banks to make public our diversity metrics,” Adams says. “We have a diverse board and a diverse senior leadership team.”

In his free time, Adams enjoys spending time with his family. He is fiercely proud to be from West Virginia. A father to three boys—Elijah, Dash and Wylie—Adams believes giving back is a huge part of the company’s DNA, and for him, it’s personal as well.

“It’s important to those companies and those individuals who have been fortunate to have success to give back,” he says. “The causes I support are diverse and vary by industry and geography. I’m dedicated to continuing to make a positive impact in my home state.”