Busey’s Van Dukeman named IBA Banker of the Year
The Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) has named Busey Chairman and CEO Van Dukeman as Banker of the Year—the highest honor the organization bestows on an individual whose dedication to excellence has profoundly enhanced the banking industry.
The annual award recognizes the individual’s leadership and service qualities, applied not only to the banking industry but also to promoting civic, community and charitable causes. IBA President Randy Hultgren presented the award to Dukeman at the IBA’s annual conference on June 24 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.
“Throughout our industry, there are individuals whose leadership and vision leave an unmistakable mark—those who not only guide their own institution, but uplift the entire banking community,” Hultgren said while presenting the award Tuesday. “Van has guided his institution through transformative change to achieve extraordinary milestones, including the recent significant acquisition of CrossFirst Bank. He exemplifies leadership, integrity and vision, and has grown a ‘people first’ culture at Busey that is central to its success. It’s a great privilege for me and the IBA to honor Van here today.”
Under Dukeman’s leadership, Busey has grown from $2 billion in assets to nearly $20 billion over the past 17 years by executing on a sequence of nine strategic acquisitions which have resulted in successful, intentional growth for Busey’s banking and wealth management services. Combining his collective leadership with Main Street Bank & Trust and Busey, Dukeman has led 16 successful acquisitions since 1994, including Busey’s transformational partnership with CrossFirst Bank in 2024, the largest acquisition in Busey’s history.
“During times of change and through difficult situations, Van is at his best,” Busey Chief Operating Officer Amy Randolph said. “He has been the driving force in shaping Busey’s incredible growth trajectory while ensuring our highly regarded culture has remained consistent and best-in-class. Through his vision and tremendous relationship-building skills, he has charted the path of the greatest growth era in the company’s 157-year history, and as Busey keeps growing forward we will continue to rely on Van’s ability to steer us and respond to change.”
For Dukeman, the path to exceptional leadership and a nearly 45-year banking career began at an early age. The roots took hold while helping his father at the State Bank of Arthur in Illinois, doing various odds-and-ends jobs as early as the eighth grade. During his junior and senior years at the University of Illinois in the late 1970s, he worked nights for Busey in their computer department.
After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA in Finance from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, he began his post-grad professional career at a regional banking organization in Houston before returning to the heartland and Illinois in 1994 with Main Street Bank & Trust in Champaign. He was serving as CEO of Main Street Bank & Trust when it merged with Busey in 2007 and took over the role of President & CEO of Busey, ushering in a new era for the organization.
“I’ve had the honor of working closely with Van for more than 15 years, and the privilege of calling him my mentor,” Randolph said. “He has always been a steady and impactful leader at Busey, with the innate ability to bring out the best in others, and he’s not afraid to put the best people for the job in positions to succeed. For me personally, the belief and confidence he’s shown in me over my career has made a tremendous impact. I’ve learned so much from him and I’m greatly appreciative of his mentorship.”
Since opening its doors in 1868, Busey has built a foundation of broad financial capabilities, deep knowledge and close personal relationships that span generations. Van has built on this tradition and remains committed to ensuring our Pillars—associates, customers, communities and shareholders—achieve their dreams.
“Over his 45-plus year career in banking, Van has made a significant impact on Busey and banking in the state of Illinois,” said Martin O’Donnell, executive vice president and Midwest regional president for Busey. “He has been a steadying force through multiple banking cycles—leading Busey and its predecessor banks through all of them. Over the years, Van’s consistent and focused approach has allowed Busey to grow and prosper.”
Active across the community in various leadership capacities, Dukeman shares his professional acumen with an assortment of regional organizations. He has served as as chairman of the board of trustees of Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., chairman of the Carle Foundation and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., chairman of the board and campaign chairman of the United Way of Champaign County, and as a member of the Young President’s Organization Illini Chapter. He also encourages others to give their time, talent and treasures to causes close to their heart. As an organization, Busey’s charitable donations totaled over $1.9 million in 2024—supporting the critical needs of each community through scholarships, youth programs, food security, shelter and more.
“Having known Van for nearly 40 years, I believe his true legacy will be his heart for service and dedication to community,” said Curt Anderson, former president of Busey Wealth Management who now serves as executive success coach for the organization. “He has often said, ‘A bank’s success is a reflection of the success of the community it serves. You can’t have success in one without the other.’”
An exceptional example of professional achievement, family dedication, service to others and guidance of the next generation, Dukeman provides an incredible example of how common circumstances can be transformed to positively impact a community today and for generations to come.
“One thing that has always impressed me about Van is his absolute commitment to excellence—both personal and professional,” said Anderson. “His commitment to integrity, innovation and hard work has left a lasting impact on those around him and the banking industry. But Van’s true success is not about his many achievements, it’s about the lives he’s uplifted along the way.”
For more information about Busey awards, visit busey.com/awards-and-recognition.
Provided photos.
Corporate Profile
As of March 31, 2025, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was a $19.46 billion financial holding company headquartered in Leawood, Kan.
Busey Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Champaign, Ill., had total assets of $11.98 billion as of March 31, 2025. Busey Bank currently has 62 banking centers, with 21 in Central Illinois markets, 17 in suburban Chicago markets, 20 in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, three in Southwest Florida, and one in Indianapolis. More information about Busey Bank can be found at busey.com.
CrossFirst Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Leawood, Kan., had total assets of $7.45 billion as of March 31, 2025. CrossFirst Bank currently has 16 banking centers located across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. More information about CrossFirst Bank can be found at crossfirstbank.com. It is anticipated that CrossFirst Bank will be merged with and into Busey Bank on June 20, 2025.
Through Busey’s Wealth Management division, the Company provides a full range of asset management, investment, brokerage, fiduciary, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and farm management services to individuals, businesses, and foundations. Assets under care totaled $13.68 billion as of March 31, 2025. More information about Busey’s Wealth Management services can be found at busey.com/wealth-management.
Busey Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, FirsTech, specializes in the evolving financial technology needs of small and medium-sized businesses, highly regulated enterprise industries, and financial institutions. FirsTech provides comprehensive and innovative payment technology solutions, including online, mobile, and voice-recognition bill payments; money and data movement; merchant services; direct debit services; lockbox remittance processing for payments made by mail; and walk-in payments at retail agents. Additionally, FirsTech simplifies client workflows through integrations enabling support with billing, reconciliation, bill reminders, and treasury services. More information about FirsTech can be found at firstechpayments.com.
For the fourth consecutive year, Busey was named among 2025’s America’s Best Banks by Forbes. Ranked 88th overall, Busey was one of seven banks headquartered in Illinois included on this year’s list. Busey was also named among the 2024 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois by Daily Herald Business Ledger, the 2025 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2024 Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine.
