On Tuesday, Aug. 18, WSFS Bank announced that Michael L. Conklin will be its new Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

In this role, Conklin will serve as an organizational change agent, culture advocate and community steward. He will lead the company’s talent transformation initiative and will be responsible for developing and optimizing people-centered strategies for succession, inclusion, learning and development, human sigma, well-being, compensation and community partnerships.

Overall, Conklin will be tasked with further developing and nurturing a well-defined company culture that is defined as “the WSFS way” by the nearly 2,000 associates. 

“Michael is a seasoned professional with decades of experience building effective teams and developing organizational strategies that drive growth, productivity and high levels of Associate engagement,” Rodger Levenson, Chairman and President & CEO of WSFS, said in a press release. “His talent for leading across organizations, high-energy and dedication to culture make him an ideal fit for our Company and this role.”

Conklin joins WSFS with more than 25 years of experience in human resource management. 

He spent the past seven-plus years serving in various different human resources leadership roles at US Bank in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area. Most recently, he was the Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for US Bank’s consumer, business banking and payment services where he led a team of 147 human resources professionals and 46,000 employees.

“From the minute I was introduced to this team I had a special feeling about their commitment to our Associates, Customers, culture and community,” Conklin said about WSFS in a press release.

“I'm humbled by the trust and confidence Rodger and the leadership team have bestowed upon me to help lead the next chapter of WSFS’ storied history,” he added. 

Levenson called Conklin’s addition to WSFS’s corporate leadership role as “part of our thoughtful deliberate, and continual executive management succession planning process,” as Peggy Eddens, Chief Associate and Customer Experience Officer, who will be retiring next year to assume the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. 

Prior to his roles at US Bank, Conklin was Vice President of Global Human Resources at Pentair, and also had roles as Senior Director of Human Resources at ConAgra Food and Corporate Director of Human Resources at Dean Foods. 

He is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corp, as he served in the Gulf War and also the USMC Reserves. 

Conklin will be relocating to the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware region with his family upon taking on this new role.