First Merchants Bank Opens in Fitzgerald Neighborhood!

Comparably Awards

For consumers and businesses and all customers, First Merchants Bank delivers uniquely attentive service across a broad range of financial services. As a community bank with a strong positive reputation, we approach all customer relationships with a genuine “helping you prosper” service approach. read more

This company is accepting feedback from verified employees EMPLOYEE PARTICIPANTS: 1597

TOTAL RATINGS: 46339

CEO: Mark K Hardwick

Mark K Hardwick First Merchants CEO Rating

First Merchants' CEO, Mark K Hardwick, has 1597 employee ratings and a score of 82/100, placing them in the Top 5% of similar size companies on Comparably with 1,001-5,000 Employees. When breaking the CEO score down by factors such as department, gender, and ethnicity, we see that males at First Merchants rate Mark K Hardwick higher than non-binary employees, giving the CEO a score of 82/100.

Last updated months ago.

Where This Score Ranks First Merchants' CEO Rating

TOP
5%
In the Top 5% of 2126 Similar Sized Companies on Comparably
1st
1st place versus 5 competitors rated on Comparably

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A+82 / 100

Jan

First Merchants CEO Mark K Hardwick Bio

Mark K. Hardwick currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of First Merchants Corporation and First Merchants Bank.

Mark joined First Merchants in November of 1997 as corporate controller and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in April of 2002. In June of 2007, Hardwick also assumed all leadership responsibilities related to operations, technology, and risk management for the corporation. In 2016, Mark’s title expanded to include Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the leadership responsibilities for finance, operations, technology, risk, legal, and facilities for the corporation. In 2021, Mark was promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining First Merchants Corporation, Mark served as a senior accountant with BKD, LLP in Indianapolis.

Mark is a graduate of Ball State University with a master’s in business administration and bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is also a certified public accountant and a graduate of the Stonier School of Banking.

Mark is a trustee for Ball State University, serving as the chair for the Audit Committee. Mark is also a member of Next Muncie. Mark was inducted into the Ball State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also the recipient of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “CFO of the Year” in 2012.

Mark and his wife, Cathy, live in Yorktown and have two children, Halie and Bryce.

Who Ranks First Merchants' CEO Rating the Highest?

Ethnicity - Native American 91/100

Department - Marketing 89/100

Ethnicity - Asian or Pacific Islander 88/100

Who Ranks First Merchants' CEO Rating the Lowest?

Gender - Non-Binary 50/100

Department - Engineering 65/100

Department - Legal 75/100

First Merchants CEO Mark K Hardwick At a Glance

The CEO score provides an understanding of how employees feel about the CEO’s leadership style and effectiveness at First Merchants.

Based on 1597 ratings, Mark K Hardwick ranks right above U.S. Bank's CEO, Andrew Cecere.

First Merchants' CEO is highly regarded by Native American employees, the Marketing department, and Asian or Pacific Islander employees. However, Non-Binary employees, the Engineering department, and the Legal department have a less favorable view of the CEO and believe there is room for improvement. Overall, the CEO score has remained stable over the last 90 days.