2021 Annual Report

our people are our strength

model. On the expense side, we expect noninterest expense to increase in step with the balance sheet as we continue to invest in the business.

As we operate through this challenging envi- ronment, we have been fortunate to continue to develop new and existing client relation- ships, benefit from the hard work and dedi- cation of our growing team and gain invalu- able insights and leadership from our Board of Directors. I especially want to thank all of our front-line team members for coming in to work every day during the pandemic to support our clients. They have really made a difference. By leveraging our unconventional corporate culture and our growing team of talented and experienced professionals, we are well-positioned to continue our unique organic growth story. laboration tools and spaces, offering flex- ible work schedules, and doing our part to address environmental, social and gover- nance (ESG) issues.

Develop, Retain and Recruit Top Industry Talent

At Bridgewater, our people are what make our business unconventional, from our abil- ity to serve our clients to the very nature of our corporate culture. Never in our bank’s history has the need for talented profes- sionals been as important as it is now, es- pecially with labor shortages and increased competition for top talent. While we were opportunistic in adding talent in 2021, this will be an area of special focus for us again in 2022 given our strong pace of growth. We will be looking to add people in key growth areas such as lending, credit, treasury man- agement, risk and IT, while continuing to put programs in place to develop existing talent and promote professional growth within the company. We also recognize that the needs of our team members are evolving. We believe we can stay ahead of the curve by maximiz- ing the benefits of the modern amenities in our new corporate center, providing col-

Jerry Baack Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

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