Utah woman finds balance in managing work and family

Candice Madsen reportingIf you know a "Smart Woman" or if you think you have an interesting Smart Woman topic, you can contact Candice at cmadsen@ksl.com.

As a district president for Key Bank, Jill Taylor has established quite a name for herself in the banking industry. But it's not a career this mother of three ever planned on having.

Taylor was recently recognized as one of the women of the year by Wasatch Woman Magazine. She's also listed as one of Utah Business Magazine's "Forty under 40," but she takes all the attention in stride and says she simply strives to do her best everyday.

With a corner office on the 26th floor of the Key Bank building, Taylor has come a long way from her days as a teller. "My intention was to work for a year and save enough for a down payment on our house, and I just kept getting opportunity after opportunity, so I decided this is probably a good thing to be when I grow up," she said.

But her greatest opportunity came at a very inopportune time. When she was nine months pregnant with her third child, Taylor was asked to interview for a huge promotion. "I remember thinking, 'Do I really want to meet the vice chair when I'm nine months pregnant in the dead of summer?'" she said.

She ended up going into labor that day and thought she'd lost her shot at the job, but she got another chance. "He was two weeks old when they called and said, ‘How soon can you come back here?' And so I got on a plane, and they interviewed me for the position," Taylor explained.

That was less than two years ago. Taylor now leads 250 employees as president of Key Bank's Utah district but says her greatest priority is her children. She believes it is the commitment to her family that makes her a better boss.

"I go home and that's what matters, is the family, and it keeps you more grounded when you're dealing with other people. You're realizing they've got families, they've got a lot they're juggling as well," Taylor said.

Taylor says she couldn't juggle it all without the support of her husband. "Number one advice is find a very, very good partner and soul mate who can help you. I couldn't do this without my husband. That is absolutely for sure," she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Taylor says she's going to add yet another role to her life. This spring she plans to coach her son's lacrosse team.