Mark Jones, President & CEO of Saco & Biddeford Savings, is celebrating his 40-year work anniversary this month!
Over the past four decades, Mark has helped shape SBSI into the community-focused, people-first bank it is today. His leadership, humility and deep sense of purpose have made an enduring impact, not just on the bank, but on everyone lucky enough to have crossed paths with him.
To commemorate this anniversary, Mark reflected on the journey that brought him here. What follows is a personal story that captures the heart of his experience — one filled with gratitude, passion and an unwavering commitment to serving others.
“My path to SBSI has been filled with unexpected twists — many of them serendipitous, some even bordering on what I’d call synchronipitous. Like many people, I can look back and see how one small moment or decision changed everything. For me, it all began with a single fly ball during my freshman year at the University of Southern Maine.
That catch of a ball — perfectly placed within my outstretched reach with a crash landing in a small pond of a drenched outfield — landed me a spot on the USM baseball team. From there, the connections I made and the experiences I had formed, were the foundation of everything that followed: my career, my wife, my children, lifelong friendships and even many customer relationships. I often think: who would I be if that ball had landed just a few inches away?
In what felt like a perfect storm of alignment, my interview at SBSI was with the Director of Commercial Lending — someone who had also played baseball at USM under the same coach. I had also worked at Bailey’s Sporting Goods, which was owned by a cousin of then-President Bill Kany. Looking back, the path here felt oddly meant to be.
When I first started, I didn’t even have a defined title. My business card simply read: Mark Jones, Saco & Biddeford Savings. That was it. My dad asked where the “H.” (his name) had gone, and my mom questioned what I even did. That humility stuck with me, and I’ve come to value it deeply. Titles have never impressed me much. What matters more is how I’ve been able to grow in my roles and, more importantly, how I’ve been able to serve others along the way.
As I worked my way through the lending ranks, I was fortunate to have people who believed in me. Chief among them was Marc Gagnon, our now-retired EVP. Marc was there through every turning point. He encouraged me to speak publicly, championed my promotions and told me more than once, “You missed your calling — you should have been a writer, a speaker … maybe even a preacher.” (My mother wouldn’t have disagreed.) His support, combined with an inner drive to keep learning, teaching and growing, shaped who I’ve become.
I never set out to become President & CEO. But life often has its own plans. I’ve come to believe that if we stay open to what’s possible — and to what may be intended for us — we often end up exactly where we’re supposed to be.
What do I love most about SBSI? A lot. But above all, I love that being a mutual savings bank — without outside stockholders — gives us the freedom to focus on what really matters: serving each other, our customers and our communities. It’s not about short-term gain, but about long-term stewardship, an “infinite game” we get to pass on to future teams again and again.
Beyond the bank, I’m constantly inspired by the people around me and by the stories I find in books and conversations. I’ve been fortunate to have many motivating, generous people in my life.
I also love to test my physical limits, something I first discovered during my 10 years on the U.S. cycling circuit. That experience taught me that our bodies (and minds) can do far more than we imagine. Today, I find that same sense of challenge and reflection in hiking, kayaking and remote wilderness trips. Whether it’s a solo 85-mile paddle down the Allagash, a night paddle to a far-off Maine island to watch the Milky Way, or a winter trek deep into Baxter State Park, these adventures give me the space to think — or not think — and to reconnect with something deeper.
At the end of the day, though, I always return grounded and grateful — ready to give my best to the people here. Because what matters most to me is showing those I care about just how much I value and appreciate them.”
— Mark Jones, President & CEO of SBSI
