AP
Published 1:08 PM CDT, June 18, 2024
Celebrating the bold leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize industries and transform lives
DALLAS, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that John D. Steinmetz, President and CEO of Vista Bank was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Southwest Award winner. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies.
Mr. Steinmetz was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs and other business leaders. Candidates were evaluated based on their ability to create long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to their purpose and the demonstration of growth and substantial impact, among other key indicators.
“When Abe Minkasa said, Vista Bank ‘is on a mission to finance the ‘American Dream’ for all who dare to chase it,’ he could not have said it any better,” noted Vista Bank President and CEO John Steinmetz. “Our program is truly disrupting a traditionally deep-rooted industry by creating a quality pond through an ecosystem that teaches people to fish, helping those willing to put in the work find a path to ‘yes.’
While it’s an incredible honor to win this award, that has never been why our team set out on this journey. We do this to ensure that regardless of where someone is from, if they are willing to anticipate and sacrifice consistently, they too can accomplish the ‘American Dream.’ That is why I am genuinely thankful to have been given this platform to raise awareness and get banks nationwide involved in changing how our country invests in and elevates our low to moderate income communities through the power of small business.
I am incredibly grateful for my supportive family, our super-talented and loyal team, and the entrepreneurs who allow us to call Vista their Bank. I also want to congratulate my fellow winners, whose remarkable achievements inspire us all.”
As a Southwest award winner, Mr. Steinmetz is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in June 2025.
Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future.
