“ Don ’ t be afraid of change , take risks , and be confident in what you ’ re able to do .”
Lydia Ramirez knows banking is not a typical dream career . “ I can probably say that no little girl that you ask at the age of 5 says , ‘ I wanna be a banker when I grow up .’” Nonetheless , the senior vice president and chief operations officer of Five Star Bank has found fulfillment and success throughout her 20-plusyear career in banking .
She oversees branch administration , central operations , electronic banking and client services at Roseville-based Five Star Bank . Since joining Five Star Bank in 2017 , Ramirez has increased internal efficiencies by updating training procedures and restructuring operations . She hired more staff , including numerous young women of color . Her improvements , including her advancement of the online banking system and electronic procedures , helped establish the institution as one of the nation ’ s top performing banks of its size . The pandemic created new demands and called for new objectives . With many local small businesses in danger of closing , Ramirez led the operations team through the Paycheck Protection
Program loan process to assist customers . Her group opened 850 accounts and processed more than 1,000 loans , contributing $ 250 million to the Capital Region .
She attributes her accomplishments , such as being recognized as the Sacramento region ’ s highestranking Latina in the banking field , to her drive to learn , grow and inspire leadership in others . “ I ’ m a super driven person ,” she says . “ That has always been instilled in me by both my parents . You can ’ t just rest on your laurels , there ’ s always more .”
A native of Sacramento , Ramirez graduated with bachelor ’ s degrees in psychology and Spanish language and literature from UC Davis . She spent 16 years at Union Bank before leaving for a position as senior vice president at Five Star Bank . In early 2021 , she earned her executive MBA from Sacramento State , using the degree to be even more effective in her position . “ I ’ m the kind of person that needs , like , seven irons in the fire in order to find Zen . It ’ s kind of weird . I perform much better at a high-octane level .”
Having benefited from executive training programs and guidance from those in leadership positions , Ramirez knows the value of mentorship . She pays it forward by fostering emerging talent . “ I was able to help mentor some amazing ( up-andcoming ) leaders within the company and bring in some fantastic talent that I hope to continue to grow as we move forward ,” she says .
Her investment in mentees goes beyond her work at Five Star to helping young Latinas via the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce . As a board member and vice chair , Ramirez leads seminars where she coaches relationship-building and educates small-business owners on how to effectively use resources , walking them through grant applications and PPP loan processes . She also helps them bring their businesses up to date with online banking enterprises and e-commerce functionality . She says one of her primary goals is to encourage the next generation of business owners to “ not be afraid of downturns .”
In addition to imparting practical skills , Ramirez seeks to inspire through representation . “ Right now in the finance industry , when you look at the top of the house , you very rarely see a person of color ,” she says . “ You very rarely see a woman . So for me to sit in the C-suite with the rest of the executives in 2021 is such a huge thing for me . It ’ s important to show that it ’ s possible .”
Vanessa Labi is a writer who specializes in culture , arts , lifestyle and personal essays . She shares cultural commentary , introspective pleasures and bummers , and links in her newsletter , The Vessel ( VanessaLabi . Substack . com ). On Instagram @ vanessa . labi .
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