James Mawn

Jim Mawn Jr. is President and CEO of Northern Bank. Jim assumed this leadership role from his father in 2009, but Northern Bank has always been an important part of Jim’s life.

In 1960, the bank was founded by his father, Jim Sr., and his uncle, Thomas Mawn, who when faced with difficulties in securing a bank loan for their small business, decided to start their own bank. They vowed that at their bank, small businesses would feel heard and supported, swift, common sense solutions would prevail, and ambitious entrepreneurs would be able to quickly secure the financial backing they needed to realize their dreams.

That can-do attitude, ability to execute on promises, and inherent understanding of the small business customer’s challenges, are the key things Jim has pointed to again and again as pivotal to Northern Bank’s continued success.

When Jim took the reigns of the bank from his father in 2009, the country was facing both a recession and a banking crisis and many of Northern Banks’ competitors were denying customers’ requests for capital. Rather than pull back, Northern Bank, led by Jim, continued to provide the help customers needed. By looking for ways to grow smartly and strategically, Northern bank was able to expand its client base significantly, while other banks were struggling.

Jim’s willingness to offer support in tough times, assume appropriate risks, and make tough but calculated decisions, quickly propelled the Bank’s growth from approximately $400m in assets to over $2B. Each year since Jim took over as CEO, S&P Global Market Intelligence has ranked Northern Bank as the best performing community bank in New England, and in 2015 Northern Bank was recognized as the best performing bank in the country.

Jim is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College, a juris doctor from Boston College Law School, and a Masters of Banking Law, LLM, from Boston University Law School.