From Intern to Innovator: Finding the Perfect Role at Regions

If you’re new in your career, you want to be at a firm where your ambition is matched by an equal level of support.

That’s the story of Sydney Johnson, a Treasury Management relationship manager associate. She has effectively leveraged Regions resources at different stages to find a role that’s a custom fit. Her experience demonstrates the Build the Best Team approach, which includes providing our people with tailored support to achieve their goals. It also highlights our unique Commercial Development Program, where analysts rotate through different disciplines over the course of three years.

A Fantastic First Impression

Her journey with Regions began in 2021 when she secured a spot in the Corporate Banking Group Emerging Talent Program Internship, a 10-week hands-on experience within one of the Corporate Banking Group verticals. The internship experience opened her eyes to the world of banking.

“I was a marketing major in college. I never saw myself going into banking and I didn’t know much about it other than visiting a bank branch as a customer,” she says. However, she was able to find relevance in a seemingly unrelated field, using her people skills and her ability to sell ideas.

“Honestly I knew within about two weeks that I wanted to work for Regions full-time. Seeing this whole world of opportunities that I had no idea existed, I knew I had to work really hard because I definitely wanted to come back.”

Impressed by the culture and the potential she saw, Johnson set her sights on the next stage of her development at Regions.

Joining the Commercial Development Program

Her desire to return to the company after graduation became a reality when she was accepted into the distinctive Commercial Development Program at Regions, which is part of the Corporate Banking Group Emerging Talent Program. This unique program offered her a deep dive into various aspects of commercial banking through a structured rotation.

The program provided her with a broad overview of the available opportunities. “The experience is definitely unique. I spent about nine months with the Treasury Management team and the Commercial relationship specialist team. I spent time supporting the Treasury Management analysts before spending nine months as a credit analyst, which was out of my comfort zone, but I learned so much. I was responsible for ongoing monitoring of reports and got to know income statements and audits.”

After that, she spent six months with the Commercial Banking Solutions team as a relationship manager. “I was the main point of contact for clients, which you typically don’t get the opportunity to do when you’ve only been out of college for two and a half years. I was fortunate enough to have a team and a manager who trusted me and gave me my own book.”

I learned that I love the company, and really the company wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the people that are in it. The people are the best part.
Sydney Johnson, Treasury Management relationship manager

Beyond the role rotations, it was the people and the culture that truly resonated. “I learned that I love the company, and really the company wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the people that are in it. The people are the best part. Managers respect you and create a personal and professional relationship with you; they care about you as an individual.”

Johnson also took part in the United Way of Central Alabama’s Loaned Executive Program during the rotational. She supported agencies such as Pathways and the Crisis Center in 2024, creating meaningful connections with the community.

The supportive environment and genuine care from colleagues and leadership were empowering. And then an opportunity arose that became the icing on the cake.

Piloting a New Role

“The last few months of my rotation were unique because I had the opportunity to help pilot the position that I’m in now,” Johnson says.

Regions leaders had wanted to add the role of a relationship manager associate in Treasury Management, which bridged the gap between analyst and officer. Johnson seemed the ideal person to pilot it. The role focuses on analytical support to free up Treasury Management officers for client interaction.

“For me, the moment where I was the most excited was when I found out that this role had been approved,” she says. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, knowing that this was a role I wanted and if I didn’t do well, it might not be approved. I worked really hard last summer to get the numbers high enough to show how much revenue was going to be generated.”

The Impact of the Program

For Johnson, the program was a positive and transformative experience that set her on an ideal career path.

“I’ve said before that I’m Regions’ number one fan, but I’m really the Commercial Development Program’s number one fan. It has been a wonderful experience. It’s been life-changing in the sense that I had no idea that this is what I wanted to do, and it has made me a better person and a better professional.”

It has been a wonderful experience. It’s been life-changing in the sense that I had no idea that this is what I wanted to do, and it has made me a better person and a better professional.
Sydney Johnson