Kalyani Mantravadi's journey to First Commonwealth is anything but conventional. From pursuing a PhD in Molecular Cell Biology to becoming a stay-at-home mom for nearly a decade, she never imagined a career in banking—until a chance conversation led her to the Credit Union. What started as a part-time opportunity quickly became a fulfilling path, where she found new ways to impact people's lives.
Now, as the Member Experience Manager at our Emmaus Financial Center, Kalyani leads with a passion for helping members navigate their financial journeys. With a commitment to lifelong learning and a team-first mindset, she has built a reputation for empowering both her team and the members they serve. Join us as we dive into Kalyani's inspiring story and the meaningful ways she's making a difference at First Commonwealth.
You have such an interesting background, from being a PhD student in Molecular Cell Biology to being here at First Commonwealth. Share a little bit about your journey and what led you here.
I think I've had an interesting journey. I was a PhD student in Molecular Biology. Very passionate about it. I think my intent at the time was to do something that would impact people, and breast cancer research was one area that I was very interested in as a PhD student. However, due to personal reasons or circumstances, I couldn't pursue it. I had to quit my PhD and then move to the Lehigh Valley. Then I decided to be a stay-at-home mom for about eight or nine years until my daughter turned nine years old, and then that's when I thought, okay, I should do something with my time. Then it was very accidental, if I might say, that First Commonwealth happened, and I met someone who works here in a temple, and she said, "Hey, what are you doing?" I said, "No, I'm just here for my daughter," then she said, "Oh, why don't you apply? We have positions," and then I just looked at the profile, so I thought, okay, maybe I could do it, and it's part-time so let me just try it. That's how First Commonwealth happened. But having said that, a year into it, I realized that I'm still making an impact on people in the role that I was in. It's definitely researching their finances and then going from there, so that kept me going. I realized that this was where I needed to be.
You are the Member Experience Manager for our Emmaus Financial Center. Tell us one thing you're proud of most of your team at Emmaus.
I'm blessed having a team who is so member-focused. I say blessed because I can't take credit for the attitudes that they bring to the table. The kind of people they are they're very kind and member-focused, and I've gotten all these great reviews. I hear great things from my members all the time, praising the team that I have, and they go above and beyond with every member. Those customer service skills, or member focus skills, were inherent already when they were here, when they were hired. So, I'm truly blessed with a great team.
You work very closely with our members. What is one piece of advice that you can offer to our members on how they can get the most out of their experience with us?
If I had to give one piece of advice to my members, I would ask them to be very candid when they walk in. To be candid and come out with what they are seeking. There are times when I've heard members tell me that "nobody ever asked me that," or they had a need that they never expressed. I can now say, in a very proud manner, that First Commonwealth has invested a lot into building knowledge for all Member Experience Associates. I'm a Certified Financial Counselor; we have almost 60 Certified Financial Counselors in every location, which just shows that everybody has the knowledge to answer any questions or route them to the people who can help. So, one piece of advice, we are asking those questions to members, saying, hey, how else can we do better? Do you have anything else that I can assist you with? When that question is asked, I would ask the members to just be open and candid. It could be anything, a debt-related thing, and there is no judgment. So, I would ask them to be candid. I'm struggling with this, or is this something you could help with? If they come open about it, the richer the experience, and we will go all in to help them.
Kalyani, can you share a moment that sticks out to you the most, one where you had a real impact on one of our members?
This takes me back to when I was a Member Experience Associate. When I first started in the role, in the first year, I was trying to learn things and understand things. I was thinking this role was just about members coming in, making their deposits and transfers, and that was it. One of the eye-openers for me was at the end of the first year when I had this member come in. Then I started asking more questions, you know, building relationships. She didn't have great credit, and then she wanted to build credit and was looking to get a loan. She was really in need of money.
At the time, based on the knowledge that I had gained, I thought, okay, maybe I could build her credit this way. It took three months for us to actually build the credit. I followed up with her and got her into refinancing her car loan, which was Capital One or something at the time, with a really high rate. And we were giving her 4% or 5% here, and she was paying almost 18%, 20% in interest because she did not have great credit. And then we could move that loan in. Then, I opened accounts for her husband and her kids. A year later, she was A+ credit, and then she happened to get a mortgage with us with a 1.5% point in 2021, which I don't think you will ever hear here with us. So that was the most fulfilling experience because it was all around relationship building. And then towards the end, she was so happy that she could get a home for 1.5%.
I recently got a chance to meet with her in a different Financial Center, and she recognized me and came up to me. She thanked me for that. If not for that refinance that I did at the time, she would have still been in that circle. That circle where she could not come out of it.
You've earned some impressive certifications, including Certified Scrum Master, Certified Financial Counselor, and Lean Six Sigma. What keeps you motivated to continue learning and growing?
Like I said. When I started, this whole banking world was totally new to me. What I was trying to do was find out how I could be better than I was yesterday. In that process, I learned that knowledge is a weapon. Knowledge is power. The more knowledge I have, the more I can better service the member in front of me. In that pursuit, my first certification was the Certified Financial Counselor certification, which teaches you how to talk to a member, especially since finances are a very sensitive topic. For them to trust you, you should have all the knowledge you can gain to better address and solve their problems. So, that was my first certification.
Then, when I started doing that, I really wanted to see how else I could improve a process or how else I could improve something, you know, for the betterment. During that time, I found Lean Six Sigma, which is another certification for process improvement. And we do a lot of things in the Financial Center, operations, member service, and sometimes having these key certifications helps you stop and think, "How can I better it?" These are the tools to get there. Again, there is always the scope to apply something if you are really looking to use it, and what keeps me motivated again is knowledge. I see that as a power, powerful and impacting. If I want to help somebody like in front of me, I need to know all the tools and knowledge I can gain to better help them.
So, we talked a lot about work. What do you like to do when you're not here? What keeps you motivated? Any hobbies or fun things that you enjoy doing?
I have an 11-year-old daughter. I spend a lot of time with her. Whatever she's doing, I'm doing, too. So, I play a lot of games, board games, anything. I like to play table tennis and tennis. If I have the time, you know, that's the key. I like to play a lot. I used to draw and paint. Not anymore. If I can read, I like to read in my free time. A lot of articles, you know, LinkedIn, you know, name it. You have so much out there to read right now on your phone. And I listen to podcasts. I have those interests.
I have one final question for you. If you could sum up your entire five years here at First Commonwealth in a single word, what would that word be and why?
I may have used this word already, but I'm going to say it again, it's been a very fulfilling experience. For someone who was not into banking at all, coming into this entire journey has not only been about my personal growth, but it also has been fulfilling because I could impact, as I said in the beginning, a lot of members. When I see the growth in them financially from where they were to where they are now, it definitely feels that much more fulfilling. I'm really proud of this journey, and it makes me think that I have a unique position and purpose for being here.