Katie Bailey
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Peoples Bank
Bailey visits the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library.
Written by Pagett Kirtley Photos by Tracy A. Toler Photography
“ people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply,” was said by Stephen Covey, author of“ The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
These words guide Katie Bailey, executive vice president and chief financial officer( CFO) of Peoples Bank as she leads one of the region’ s most trusted financial institutions. Known for her sharp financial skills and people-centered approach to work, Bailey has built a career defined by professional success and community impact.
Bailey grew up in northeast Ohio. Her parents encouraged both athletics and academics, instilling discipline, resilience and a commitment to excellence. Some of her fondest memories include family-wide wiffleball and basketball games where everyone’ s competitive spirit came alive— even her mother sliding into home on pavement to secure a win. Those moments, Bailey says, taught her perseverance, teamwork and the importance of simply showing up.
In college, she found her professional path. Guided by her advisor, Edward Osborne, Bailey leaned into her natural strength with numbers and chose accounting as her field. Her first professional role was with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Cleveland, where she honed technical skills in auditing while learning the value of efficiency, time management and clear communication.
Bailey joined Peoples Bank more than 14 years ago and quickly earned the trust of senior leadership. With mentorship and encouragement from the CEO and other executives, she advanced into leadership roles, ultimately becoming CFO. In this role, she oversees finance and accounting operations, collaborates with senior management and helps share the bank’ s story with investors, analysts and stakeholders.
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While proud of her career achievements, Bailey is candid about the lessons she’ s learned from challenges. Early in her tenure as CFO, she and her team faced a significant internal control issue. Rather than letting the weight of responsibility overwhelm her, Bailey relied on her mental toughness, reminding herself to take one step at a time, lean on her team and ask for help.
“ Keep moving forward, even when things are tough,” she says.“ You don’ t have to do it alone.”
What truly sets Bailey apart is her passion for community service. For her, giving back isn’ t an obligation but a natural extension of the support and opportunities she has received throughout her life. She serves as a trustee at Marietta College, chairing the audit committee, and as a board member of the West Virginia Bankers Association. She also teaches Sunday school, coaches her daughter’ s softball team and volunteers at food banks, career fairs and community events.
“ It is important for me to give back because I have been fortunate in my life and career,” Bailey says.“ I want to pay it forward in an effort to afford others the opportunities I’ ve had. If I can help put a smile on someone’ s face, the time and effort are well worth it.”
Although she grew up in Ohio, Bailey found her true home in St. Marys, WV. After moving from Cleveland to the countryside with her husband, a native West Virginian, she quickly fell in love with the state’ s rolling hills, fresh air and peaceful quiet.
When asked what keeps her motivated, Bailey doesn’ t hesitate: her children. Together with her husband, she is raising a daughter and son, striving to instill in them the values of kindness, hard work and resilience.
Bailey says she has been fortunate to have many influential people in her life during different seasons, but the person who has been by her side throughout her entire journey is her mom.
“ She has always been a big influence in my life because she was always working hard at her job and present with us growing up and even today teaching me that you can do many things and be effective at all of it,” she says.
For Bailey, professional success and personal fulfillment go hand in hand. Her leadership at Peoples Bank, her dedication to community service and her love for West Virginia all reflect the same guiding principle: listen, understand and serve with both head and heart. •
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Summersville Lake
comic book:
“ Peanuts” color:
Green
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