CRISTINA CASTRO-MATUKEWICZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, WELLS FARGO
investing IN OTHERS
SERVICE TO OTHERS DRIVES CASTRO-MATUKEWICZ In a career that has come full circle from nonprofit work to a vice president position at one of the largest banks in the nation, one thing has remained a constant on Cristina Castro-Matukewicz’s resume — service to others. It’s a mission that may be much larger when executed through Wells Fargo Bank where she is vice president of community relations, but one that’s no less targeted on the local community. “I oversee all aspects of the community affairs and community relations,” she said. “Community relations is part of our brand identity, and it encompasses the Wells Fargo Foundation, the work that we do through employee engagement, our volunteer programs. On the community development side, we oversee a lot of compliance work and also reputation management.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE AT WORK
Castro-Matukewicz was named a vice president 10 years ago, but she has always provided integral leadership to Wells Fargo’s community relations over her 15 years with the bank. She said during that tenure, she has seen how
much employees value the chance to participate in community service activities through work. “I think with companies like Wells Fargo, [community service] has always been important and that’s why we, as a company, have been one of the early adopters of what is called CSR, corporate social responsibility,” she said. “That’s the umbrella under which my work is done. That has been important.’ While the importance of service hasn’t changed, the way that employees participate has. “What has changed the most is the way that we do this program,” she said. “I will tell you, the baby boomer generation were good participants, but they were doing it in a different way. It was more about a sense of duty. Like, I have to do my part, I have to contribute to the United Way on the employee giving side. I have to volunteer to represent the company. What has changed with the newer generation is that they are doing it more out of a sense of personal fulfillment, not as a sense of duty. They are volunteering because they care about the cause they are supporting.”
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