Education Bachelor’s degree in economics, DePauw University,
Greencastle, Indiana (1988)
Hometown Deerfield, Illinois
Resume CEO, Commercial Banking, Old National (2022-26); President and COO (2016-22); Chief Banking Officer and EVP (2014-16); CEO, Southern Region (2007-14); Southern Division Chief Credit Officer and EVP (2004-07); Commercial Loan Manager and SVP (2001-04); Senior Commercial Loan Officer and VP (1999-01); Commercial Loan Officer and VP (1998-99); Commercial Loan Officer and AVP, Terre Haute (1995-98); Loan Officer, Greencastle (1993-95); Loan Development Officer, Greencastle (1992-93)
Family Wife Becky; sons Drew, 22, and Matt, 18
“Maybe it’s appropriate that I started and ended my career on April Fool’s Day,” Jim Sandgren jokes. But he’s serious about closing the book on his 34-year career at Old National. He’s helped guide the bank to tremendous success: On his first day in 1992, it had about $3 billion in assets. Today, the bank manages more than $70 billion in assets. On March 19, the bank thanked Sandgren for his decades of service by acknowledging his love for the community, donating $500,000 in his honor to one of his favorite nonprofit partners, Easterseals.
Now, Sandgren and his wife, Becky, will invest in “quality time remaining,” he says. “We don’t have all the time in the world, so when there’s an opportunity that comes up … we’re going to go do that.”
What career advice would you give your sons?
I think sometimes young professionals get in a hurry. … Whatever that first job, do it to the best of your ability. Worry about things you can control. … Bring the best attitude to work. Bring your hardest work ethic. Those are the kind of things that I think really matter.
Is there something you would have done differently?
I’m not one of those guys who looks back. My career path was certainly not linear, and there were a lot of deviations. But being at a great bank, it was the opportunity.
You’ve been deeply involved with Old National’s expansion. How has the company stayed focused on the community?
We have to be really intentional about it. … We’re spending more time outside of Evansville, but … this has been home for us for 192 years. People ask us, “Are you going to move your headquarters to Indianapolis or Chicago?” No, we can’t call ourselves a community bank if we all of a sudden leave Evansville.
What fuels your dedication to community service?
I have had the opportunity to work with some phenomenal organizations — the YMCA, Easterseals, just to name a couple — and the impact they’re having on kids and families and our community is just remarkable. … We’re only as strong as the communities that we serve.
Tell us about someone who majorly impacted your career.
I first met Ben Trockman, and I will tell you, Ben’s a special guy. He had just had his accident, but then he had graduated from University of Southern Indiana and he was trying to think, like, “Hey, what do I do next?” … I brought him in to meet Bob Jones. … Within two weeks, we came back with a job description for Ben to lead our work hiring people with disabilities, and that was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen. Ben did some great work across our footprint. …We wound up hiring so many folks with disabilities who wouldn’t have gotten that chance.
What’s something you’ll miss about the bank?
I’ve led all the different lines of business, I’ve been in every market, I’ve met a lot of different people. That’s the part that I’m going to miss.
How does it feel as you exit ONB?
We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, there’s no doubt about it. But man, it’s shaped me as a leader, as a person. And to go to work every day with people you really like and trust and respect, that makes it all worthwhile.
