Dawn Cannon
EVP, Chief Operating Officer
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we want to honor the contributions, talent, and ingenuity of phenomenal women at FinWise Bank throughout the month by sharing their stories. Today, we kick off the month-long celebration on International Women’s Day by recognizing Chief Operating Officer Dawn Cannon.
Dawn is a banking executive and a leader who has made significant contributions to the financial services industry throughout her career. Currently, she is the Chief Operating Officer at FinWise Bank, overseeing multiple lines of business, including Technology, Customer Experience, Change Management, Marketing and Training. In this role, she is responsible for the bank’s daily operations and service performance, and she works with the senior leadership team and Board of Directors to achieve the bank’s goals and strategies.
Dawn’s trailblazing career.
Dawn’s interest in banking started when she worked for a Michigan utility that owned a state-chartered finance company. She assisted the finance company in becoming a bank, which eventually led to her joining the bank’s management team. She has been instrumental in building and growing banks from the ground up ever since. Her success as a banking executive is especially evident in her experience at EnerBank USA, where she helped the bank get its banking charter and grow the bank’s assets from $10 million to over $1.4 billion.
Powering forward to create a bring your whole self to work environment.
Dawn’s passion for creating a work environment where employees feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work is a testament to her leadership style. Believing that humans have a basic need for belonging, she strives to make work a place where people can feel comfortable and successful. She takes pride in supporting her colleagues while they learn and grow in their careers.
Creating change for communities.
Outside of work, Dawn is a co-owner of The Creatrix LLC, a community space in South Salt Lake. The space offers yoga classes, drum circles, women’s groups, crafting classes, and more to support the spiritual growth of community members. She is also a busy mom to three children, two dogs, and a bearded dragon. Dawn’s hobbies include reading, practicing yoga, hiking, painting, writing, drumming, and gardening. Dawn’s dedication to learning is evident in the numerous certifications she has earned both personally and professionally. She is also a trauma-informed yoga teacher with a 500-RYT certification.
Lessons in leadership.
“Know yourself, be honest, build trust and relationships, share a vision, lead by example, create a safe environment to learn and grow, and empower others.”
What is your best advice for women who want to be in leadership roles?
When you have ideas to contribute, speak up. When you see an opportunity, be brave and step up. However, the single most important thing you can do to become a good leader is get to know yourself. When you can authentically be you, it is much easier to hold boundaries, radiate confidence, and know what you want.
Celebrate women’s history month with an activity.
Choose from some of Dawn’s favorites:
- Watch The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown.
- Volunteer with a local non-profit supporting women like People Helping People – which helps women, primarily single mothers, earn a living wage; Journey of Hope – which supports and encourages women who are at risk for incarceration; or Planned Parenthood.
- Read Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg; Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.
*DISCLAIMER: this article includes photos courtesy of Nasdaq.