Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) has announced that Larry Helling will retire from his role as chief executive officer of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust and of QCR Holdings Inc., CRBT’s parent company, immediately following the annual stockholders meeting on May 22.
Mr. Helling led the creation of CRBT in 2001. He plans to transition to an 18-month contract for a part-time advisory role with the company, according to a news release.
“It’s the right time. Almost twenty-four years ago, I was fortunate to have a team of people who shared the same vision and were willing to take a leap of faith with me to start a community bank where local relationships and service mattered,” Mr. Helling said. “Today, I am immensely proud that CRBT is fulfilling that mission every day. I have great confidence in the leadership at CRBT. This allows me to embrace the next chapter of my life, which is spending more time with my family. I feel blessed that I have been able to do work that I love and with people that I admire.”
Under Mr. Helling’s leadership, CRBT has experienced remarkable growth. CRBT opened its doors to the public in September 2001 and became one of the fastest growing de novo banks in the state of Iowa, reaching $100 million in assets within its first eighteen months. Today, CRBT is $2.6 billion in assets as of Dec. 30, 2024, #1 in deposit market share in Linn County, and has 200 employees.
“On behalf of the board, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Larry for his visionary leadership at CRBT and within our community,” said Patrice Carroll, CRBT board chair and president & CEO of ImOn Communications. “His dream to start a strong community bank with talented individuals will leave a lasting impact in our community. We are extremely grateful for Larry’s many contributions, and I look forward to working with him throughout this transition process.”
Upon Mr. Helling’s retirement, James Klein, CRBT’s current president, will expand his role to president and chief executive officer of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust. Mr. Klein is a seasoned banking professional with 30 years of industry experience. He joined CRBT in 2004 and has held a variety of progressive leadership roles including vice president of retail to executive vice president and chief lending officer, assuming the role of president in 2019. A native of Cedar Rapids, Mr. Klein is actively involved in the community. He currently serves on the Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance Policy board, is chair of the Downtown Cedar Rapids SSMID, and is a board member for Catherine McAuley Center. In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for United Way of East Central Iowa, Junior Achievement, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Theatre Cedar Rapids, and is a member of Daybreak Rotary.
“James has built a strong team and is a proven leader,” said Mr. Helling, in the release. “I have worked closely with him for more than twenty years and know that he has the ability to connect vision, people, and ideas to drive results. I look forward to watching the bank grow and prosper.”
