Karen Higginbotham has built her career around relationships. As Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Relationship Manager at Stellar Bank, she works closely with business owners across Houston's South Belt market, helping them navigate growth opportunities and creating spaces for them to connect and learn from one another. Her relationship-first approach to banking reflects a deep commitment to the Houston community she has called home for years.
We sat down with Karen to learn more about her work, her market, and what drives her passion for the Houston business community.
You had an unconventional path into commercial banking. How did you get started, and what led you to where you are today?
I started in the retail side of banking as a branch manager. In taking care of the clients that came to the bank, I found my passion for knowing and helping businesses. I’m naturally curious and I love to find out how businesses started and achieved success. Over time, I earned a reputation for being good with business clients, and when an opportunity came up, I took it, loved the work, and later moved to Community Bank of Texas, now Stellar.
What’s something you learned early on in your career that still guides the way you serve clients?
It seems simple, but do what you say you will do. If you say you will call, give an update or have a decision by the end of the day. Get it done – even if that’s 8:00 PM. Always honor your commitments: this shows integrity and helps prevent over-promising and under delivering. Seek first to understand and then be understood. Ask the questions, get the information, and try to make the right decision.
What do you think makes the Stellar banking experience different for business owners?
We know the market, the industries, and the trends. We take the time to get to know people, understand their businesses and goals, and see how we can partner with them. We look for solutions, always asking “how can we make this work?”
When you're getting to know a new client, what matters most in those early conversations?
I do my homework ahead of time to know their industry and their public history. My desire is to get to know them better – hear their story, their current position, concerns and celebrations, and what they want to do going forward. It’s important to give them the chance to share their efforts and experiences and – if possible – relate their stories to other clients we help. I hope to leave them with the understanding that I want a relationship with them and can be of value to their business.
A client once shared on LinkedIn that you've been someone they could call from halfway around the world or in the middle of the night. What does that kind of trust mean to you?
These referrals and trust are the best compliments I can ever receive. The fact that people trust me to help them grow or maintain their business is a humbling reality. The opportunity to be a part of the client achieving their dreams is such an honor. I am so very grateful, and I never want to take that for granted. To be a trusted advisor is a privilege– I don’t want to let them down.
Community involvement is a big part of how you develop relationships. What does showing up for the South Belt community mean to you?
Be the face of the bank. Understand that what I say and do represents something bigger than me, so I need to do it with excellence.
“I love the communities we work in and the opportunity to help them. For me, that means providing education when I can and helping people understand credit, debt, banking terms, and requirements. They’re part of the community, even if they aren’t a customer yet.”
Karen Higgenbotham, Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Relationship Manager
You're involved in creating lunch 'n' learns that bring together leaders and guest speakers from different industries. What inspired those conversations?
I want to add value to our customer relationships. I want to set Stellar Bank apart from the competition. A bank is a bank, but a trusted advisor is something rare and special. I want customers to know that we care about what they care about.
What do you hope clients and community members take away from those events?
I hope they walk away having learned something of value for their business and personal lives, and have had opportunities to meet other business owners. Those connections help customers see they are not alone in the struggles of business ownership. I hope they realize that Stellar sees them, knows them, and desires to help them.
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Businesses thrive when they have a banker who knows their story. Connect with a Stellar banker today.