Kristan El-Khaled knows hard work and determination. In 2007, she was 19 years old and started as a teller at Arvest Bank. Today, she is Vice President, Trust Officer. From the time she was 18 years old until 2020, El-Khaled, a native Oklahoman, has worked two jobs. On top of working 60 hours a week, there were years when she attended college at night to earn a degree from UCO. Much of her hard work took place as she and her husband were raising their two daughters.
When El-Khaled says, “A good leader often grows from the bottom up. They know what their employees are going through,” you know that she is speaking from her own hard-won experience.
As part of her journey to the position she holds today, El-Khaled graduated from the Cannon Financial Institute’s Trust School with honors in 2020 and holds the ABA’s Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor designation. “I have been a trust officer for about four years now. It is my passion. All along the way, the people in my office mentored me and helped me grow. They helped make me who I am today,” she said.
Having benefited immensely from being mentored, she gives back in mentoring others: El-Khaled is in her third year at Positive Tomorrows, where she meets one-on-one with a student once a week. She also serves on the board of directors for Calm Waters, which offers free grief support and counseling, and spends time providing free finance education to seniors, with the Seniors Living Truth Series. “They meet at Francis Tuttle Moore-Norman and at the Rockwell campus. I try to answer any financial questions they might have.”
Her advice to young leaders? “I would tell them to always be open to learning more about your resources and your mentors. Be open and mindful to advice and critique. You will make mistakes; everyone does. Be ready to step in and take responsibility.”
