Classroom to Boardroom | Nick Papachristou (’00)

No matter what you do in life, one thing is inevitable—you’ll face challenges. For Nick Papachristou ’00, Associated Bank executive vice president and chief marketing officer, challenges are inherent in opportunity.

Obtaining his college degree certainly presented challenges. After spending a few years in college in his home state of New York, Papachristou was drawn to the Twin Cities by a few friends, the cost of living, and quality of life. His desire for career growth drew him to the cohort-delivered degree-completion program at Concordia. “I would not have been able to further my career without my degree,” he said.

What really stands out in Papachristou’s mind about his Concordia experience is the empathy, understanding and support he received from faculty, specifically Dr. Richard Brynteson. “His personal commitment to the concept of the program and the group, and his ability to facilitate learning that was appropriate for working adults seeking to achieve something specific was just outstanding,” Papachristou said. “He was a good support and a good guide going through that.”

The opportunity for Papachristou to lead Associated Bank to gain market share in a saturated marketplace presents its challenges too. “It sounds simple but it’s a difficult task,” Papachristou said. Despite the competition, he knows opportunities are abundant. “I look at this company and I see huge unbridled potential,” Papachristou said. Papachristou’s path to Associated Bank has led him to Milwaukee but he’s made stops in Boston, New York and Philadelphia along the way. He admitted moving his wife and two sons, age 7 and 10, has been challenging. “My opportunities have always been good and everything has worked out, but moving is the hard part,” Papachristou said.

Despite all of the challenges Papachristou has faced, he points to a few things that have fueled his success. “It’s really about work ethic and the willingness to apply yourself and focus,” he said. “What I’ve achieved is also in large part due to my experience at Concordia.”

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