JOHN A. IKARD
After receiving his MBA in Business Management from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, John A. Ikard came back to Colorado in 1981 and was hired as a management trainee at FirstBank Holding Company that year. The following year, he was promoted to bank officer, in 1991 he was named president of the FirstBank in the Denver Tech Center and was then promoted to CEO of FirstBank Holding Company in 1999, a position he held until his retirement in 2017.
Ikard made a commitment to implement a culture of philanthropy and community involvement at FirstBank. From the inception of the bank in 1963 until 1999, when Ikard took the reins, the bank had contributed a total of $10 million to charitable causes. From 1999 to 2016, they contributed over $57 million and consistently rank in the top three of all corporate givers in the state. Additionally, under Ikard’s leadership, FirstBank has grown to be the second-largest bank in Colorado by deposits. FirstBank assets topped $17 billion in 2016, which marked 10 straight years of record profits.
Ikard’s commitment to the community reaches far past FirstBank. He has chaired numerous organizations including the American Bankers Association, the Denver Economic Development Corporation, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Denver Boy Scout Council, and Colorado Concern. He was on the Board of Trustees at Colorado State University and a board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Ikard also served on the Kansas City Federal Reserve Board of Directors during the 2010 financial crisis. He is currently involved with the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation and the Denver Scholarship Foundation. Ikard remains on the FirstBank Board as chairman, and as chairman of the National Western Center Authority, he is overseeing the multi-billion redevelopment of the National Western Complex.
Ikard has received numerous awards, including the Community Banker of the Year award from American Banker, the Mizel Community Enrichment Award, the Daniels Ethics in Business Award, the Boy Scout “Vale La Pena Award,” and the Colorado State University Alumni of the Year Award.
Since his retirement, Ikard has enjoyed spending time with his wife Karen, his four children, and his four grandchildren.
Ikard made a commitment to implement a culture of philanthropy and community involvement at FirstBank. From the inception of the bank in 1963 until 1999, when Ikard took the reins, the bank had contributed a total of $10 million to charitable causes. From 1999 to 2016, they contributed over $57 million and consistently rank in the top three of all corporate givers in the state. Additionally, under Ikard’s leadership, FirstBank has grown to be the second-largest bank in Colorado by deposits. FirstBank assets topped $17 billion in 2016, which marked 10 straight years of record profits.
Ikard’s commitment to the community reaches far past FirstBank. He has chaired numerous organizations including the American Bankers Association, the Denver Economic Development Corporation, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Denver Boy Scout Council, and Colorado Concern. He was on the Board of Trustees at Colorado State University and a board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Ikard also served on the Kansas City Federal Reserve Board of Directors during the 2010 financial crisis. He is currently involved with the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation and the Denver Scholarship Foundation. Ikard remains on the FirstBank Board as chairman, and as chairman of the National Western Center Authority, he is overseeing the multi-billion redevelopment of the National Western Complex.
Ikard has received numerous awards, including the Community Banker of the Year award from American Banker, the Mizel Community Enrichment Award, the Daniels Ethics in Business Award, the Boy Scout “Vale La Pena Award,” and the Colorado State University Alumni of the Year Award.
Since his retirement, Ikard has enjoyed spending time with his wife Karen, his four children, and his four grandchildren.