Springfield Business Journal_2020-06-15

14 · SBJ.NET JUNE 15-21, 2020 A t just 30 years old, Brandon Bowenschulte’s leadership skills are clear. Advancing through the ranks at Great Southern Bank and Commerce Bank, with three positions over eight years, Bowen- schulte is now vice president of com- mercial banking at UMB Bank. Outside the office, his leadership skills continue to shine as current president of Rotaract Club of Springfield, leading a group of more than 75 young profession- als. He helped coordinate the fourth an- nual Double Dare event, raising $10,000 for Great Circle. Also on the board of directors for Champion Athletes of the Ozarks, Bowenschulte helped launch the first Golfing Fore Champions tournament, which raised approximately $30,000. What was your first job? Schlotzsky’s. What about your job would shock peo- ple? There is no time where my job ever stops. You have to be constantly looking for ways to be creative and build relation- ships with clients to differentiate yourself from the competition. Also, I don’t golf every day. What did you learn the hard way? Not to procrastinate. Growing up, I always used to tell myself I performed better under pressure and tight deadlines. But in reality, I have found out that you can get a lot more done if you prioritize your workload. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t dwell on the past, don’t daydream about the future, but focus on showing up fully in the present moment. —Emily Letterman, Contributing Writer F our words from his mentor have im- pacted Thomas Bieker since joining Environmental Works Inc. in 2014. “Just go do you.” Using those words as guidance, the 39-year-old says his proudest accom- plishment was aiding a client in diverting nearly 1 million pounds of food waste from landfills and recycling almost 97% of waste. Since joining Environmental Works, Biek- er co-founded MidAmerican Real Estate in 2018 to redevelop areas of Springfield he’s passionate about. The Missouri Army National Guard mem- ber faced his toughest challenge the same year after being diagnosed with acute lym- phoblastic leukemia, going into remission and going back to work a year later. “We are beyond grateful that we live in such a wonderful and caring community,” he says. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Let it go. Trust in the team. I thought that the level of detail and atten- tion I paid every project I was engaged with was unparalleled. I was wrong. I was forced at a point in 2018 to relinquish project control to what I knew was a very capable team, but their performance absolutely blew me away.  What’s your most treasured possession? My family. What historical figure do you identify with most? Gen. George S. Patton. Driven by results and action, a little rough around the edges. —Kyle Boaz, Researcher BRANDON BOWENSCHULTE, 30 Vice President of Commercial Banking, UMB Bank THOMAS BIEKER, 39 Principal, Environmental Works Inc. JESSICA ROSA