Lauren Davis leads Huntington Bank’s West Michigan team as Regional President, bringing nearly 30 years of banking experience across retail, operations, risk management, and commercial banking. She serves on boards for The Right Place, The Economic Club of Grand Rapids, and King Milling, and is passionate about workforce development and women’s empowerment. Lauren Davis holds a BBA in Finance from Central Michigan and an MBA from Grand Valley State University. She enjoys boating and traveling with her husband, Craig, and their two sons.
Talk to us about company culture — what values guide your leadership and your team at Huntington Bank?
At Huntington, our culture starts with our purpose: to make people’s lives better, help businesses thrive, and strengthen the communities we serve. The way we put that into action is through three core values: Can-Do Attitude, Service Heart, and Forward Thinking.
As a leader, I try to bring those values to life in practical ways. Can-Do Attitude means we do not admire problems, we solve them together. Service Heart means we listen first and remove friction for customers and colleagues, because trust is built one interaction at a time. Forward Thinking means we keep improving our tools, our skills, and our processes so we can be better tomorrow than we were today. Huntington’s vision is to be the country’s leading people-first, digitally powered bank, and that balance of human care and modern capability is exactly how we aim to show up in West Michigan.
Locally, that culture shows up as strong on-the-ground leadership. In Ottawa County, we have a full local leadership team led by our Market Director John Burmeister, and we are proud of the trust we have earned in that market. John also serves as a Lakeshore Advantage board member, which is another way we stay aligned with the region’s priorities and remain accountable to the community.
How do you stay ahead of trends and challenges in the banking industry, and ensure your team remains competitive and always evolving?
We stay ahead by being customer-led, data-informed, and willing to evolve. At the enterprise level, Huntington has been explicit about investing in digital capabilities and expanding into growth markets, which requires teams that learn quickly and execute with discipline. That same mindset shows up in how we think about value for customers. Huntington’s Fair Play Banking approach has been described by our leadership as innovating on customers’ behalf and continuing to look out for customers’ financial health.
Keeping our team competitive means staying close to what West Michigan employers are navigating. Manufacturers and growing service businesses need speed, clarity, and smart solutions that match their reality. That is why we focus on building talent, sharing best practices across teams, and learning alongside our clients as priorities shift. I also believe momentum comes from creating an environment where people can bring ideas forward, test them, and improve what is working. When a team feels trusted and challenged, it stays sharp.
What key experiences have most shaped your career path, and what lessons have stayed with you?
My path has been shaped by having the chance to work across different parts of banking, from retail to operations, risk, finance, and commercial banking. That breadth taught me two things that stay with me. First, relationships are the foundation of this business, but discipline sustains them. When you manage risk well, communicate clearly, and do what you say you will do, trust compounds over time. Huntington’s culture reinforces that principle through a consistent focus on integrity and doing the right thing.
Second, leadership is about people. In my current role, I oversee a large regional team across Greater Michigan, and I have seen that the best outcomes come when leaders invest in talent and empower others to lead. I have also learned that community engagement is not separate from business success. It is part of what makes a region resilient and a workforce strong, and it keeps leaders grounded in what truly matters.
How do you approach tough decisions in your role, and what principles guide your strategic thinking?
When decisions are hard, I come back to a few guiding principles. The first is trust. I always emphasize doing the right thing, and that ethical compass matters most when the decision is not easy. The second principle is disciplined risk thinking. Huntington has communicated a moderate-to-low risk appetite and a focus on operating from a position of strength, and that reinforces the idea that strong results should be sustainable.
Third, I consider the long view. I ask what strengthens customers, colleagues, and the community over time. That often means choosing clarity over complexity and prioritizing actions that create durable value. In a region like West Michigan, where businesses plan in multi-year cycles and talent is a long game, it is important to be steady, transparent, and consistent. I also believe tough decisions should be communicated with respect. People can handle change when they understand the why and when they feel heard.
What practices, mentors, or resources have been most influential in your ongoing professional growth?
I have benefited from mentors and leaders who challenged me to think bigger and lead with both clarity and care. I have also learned a great deal through community leadership, because it exposes you to different perspectives and the real constraints organizations face. My involvement with local organizations focused on regional growth and business leadership has been an ongoing source of learning.
Practically, I rely on a few habits. I stay close to customers and our frontline teams because that is where the best insights live and I invest in developing talent, because the strength of any organization is directly tied to the strength of its leaders at every level. Huntington’s people-first orientation and focus on colleague development reinforces the importance of that approach.
Why is investing in economic development in West Michigan a priority for you and Huntington Bank?
West Michigan’s strength has always been its people, its work ethic, and its ability to build world-class companies. Economic development is how we protect that advantage and expand it. For Huntington, this aligns directly with our purpose and our community investment approach.
Ottawa County is a market where Huntington is deeply committed, and we have built a strong presence and leadership structure here. That local commitment is also reflected in how we show up with regional partners. Lakeshore Advantage’s Powering Our Future plan is focused on business growth, talent development, and entrepreneurship in Ottawa and Allegan counties, and Huntington is an investor in that work.
For me, economic development is personal. It is about ensuring the next generation can build a career here, find housing they can afford, and contribute to a thriving community. That is why we continue to prioritize affordable housing and small business growth, and why we are also investing in workforce development initiatives that strengthen the talent pipeline over the long term. One example is Ignite the Classroom, our partnership with the Ron Clark Academy, which provides educators with immersive training and year-long support to strengthen classroom culture and student engagement, because today’s teachers are shaping the workforce that will lead West Michigan tomorrow.
