For Derek Gibson, chief operating officer of Legacy Bank, persistent perseverance wins the race. After more than two decades in banking, he compares his journey to a rock in a stream.
"The stream always wins because of persistence," he said. "You think about the wearing down of a stone -- the rock may be stronger, but the stream is persistent. And so over time, erosion happens. So, if you stay focused, stay energized, continue to do the right things, make good decisions and take care of people, I think you win."
From Springdale, Gibson took a different path to get into banking. After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2000 with a degree in industrial engineering and earning his master's in industrial and systems engineering from Georgia Tech, Gibson worked in logistics at Walmart. He switched careers when a group of men he respected, including his father, Don Gibson, put together Legacy Bank in 2005.
Drawn by an entrepreneurial spark and the "chance to build something from scratch alongside people I'd known my whole life," the vision of putting together a community bank for future generations appealed to him. Defined by steady growth, Legacy Bank has had one...
Source: https://talkbusiness.net/2026/09/then-and-now-persistence-key-to-derek-gibsons-career/
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