David Druey: Leading acquisition-minded Centennial Bank for region

David A. Druey started his career in Centennial Bank in 1998 at its inception and came to South Florida about seven years ago after first starting his career in Arkansas. Now, as the regional president, he oversees the bank’s Florida locations while managing margins, costs, and efficiency. 

He first came to the area after the company bought various failed banks and helped them understand how Centennial Bank does business to succeed. “I came down with the mindset that I would do like I did in Arkansas, which is just meet people and tell people what we do, explain to them our process, explain to them that I actually wanted to have a relationship with them, understand their business, and then I would give them a quick note,” Mr. Druey said. 

His philosophy since first starting in banking has been “I can tell you ‘no’ faster than anybody else, but if I tell you ‘yes,’ at least I know I can actually do that project.” 

Mr. Druey says he is not afraid to refer customers to other banks that do things differently from the Centennial way. 

“In South Florida, there’s much bigger connectivity of people if you’re willing to go out there and meet people and talk to people and understand what their business is,” he said. “They love talking about themselves, talking about doing business, they love people that want to know about their business, and they’re much more willing to make introductions for you than pretty much anywhere else that I’ve ever worked.” 

Mr. Druey has a strong desire to meet people, understand what they do, and help them with their business goals. “I think that if you’re a banker and you have people that trust and believe in you – and you believe in them and their business, this is the epitome of mutual support in a relationship,” he said. 

Mr. Druey spoke with Miami Today reporter Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. 

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