Spirit of Maryville 2020: Laraine Davis

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When Laraine Davis was growing up, she and her two brothers were the only black students at their predominantly white school. Now, Davis’s job is to ensure that her Wells Fargo Advisor’s global workplace is diverse. As vice president of next generation talent and community champion program manager, Davis helps to create a pipeline to bring more minorities into the positions of financial advisor and branch manager.

Since joining Wells Fargo in 2004, Davis has helped manage national partnerships including mitigating risk and influencing policy with those partners. While working in community relations, she led the development of the Wells Fargo Finance Education Center at Harris-Stowe State University which features a real-time trading floor. She also worked with St. Louis Public Schools to help middle schoolers learn money management skills.

Throughout her career, Davis has navigated professional challenges while also raising children and completing the bachelor’s degree that helped her land her dream job. “I see a lot of people, especially black women, who often feel defeated,” Davis said. “I hope by sharing my story, they will feel encouraged and valued.”