A MESSAGE FROM Richard J. Green,
Executive Chairman and Owner

Dear Firstrust Customers,

The Culture Behind the Way We Serve

At a recent meeting, I spoke with our employees about Firstrust's winning culture and the values that have guided us for generations. I reminded them that culture does not sustain itself. It must be cultivated and reinforced through what each of us does every day.

Those values should set a high standard for your experience with Firstrust: a relationship grounded in understanding your goals, careful stewardship of your money and information, and responsive service when you need us.

Here is how I described our culture to our employees:

We have a WINNING CULTURE.

Excellence. We do not compare ourselves to the average, because one day the average may be out of business. First is in our name.

Trust. Gaining and keeping trust with our constituents is fundamental. Trust is also in our name, and our pledge to protect our depositors' savings and data is paramount.

Caring and service. We go the extra mile for our clients, communities and each other, with what my grandfather, Samuel A. Green, would call a missionary fervor to serve our clients. Pound for pound, we, along with the Green Family Foundation, provide more support to our communities than anyone around.

Prudent risk management with an entrepreneurial mindset. We take risks, but they are calculated and within our capacuty to absorb should we encounter adversity.

A family business. Three generations of management, treating all people with respect.

Long-term ownership. We think and invest for the long run, not quarter to quarter, and we are planful. We are successful not because of what we did last month or last year, but often because of moves made two, three or more years ago. Success has a long fuse and may not show up right away. Today's good numbers do not prove that today's habits are fine; they prove that yesterday's habits were fine. Whether tomorrow's will be fine is being decided right now, by what we do each day. We encourage everyone at Firstrust to act with an Owner's mindset.

Optimizing profitability, not maximizing it. We seek strong, sustainable performance without putting the bank or our depositors' savings at greater risk.

These principles are part of what we call The Way We Do Things Around Here. They ask us to deal with the world as it is, to care more about what is right than who is right, and to recognize that anything can be improved. My responsibility, and that of every Firstrust colleague, is to ensure these principles guide the way we serve you.

‍Richard J. Green
‍Executive Chairman and Owner, Firstrust Bank

Brandon Graham is back for a second season with Firstrust Bank, bringing his familiar personality and Philadelphia connection to a campaign shaped by the people Firstrust serves.

Feedback from customers and employees helped identify what resonated in the first campaign and what audiences wanted to hear more about: the bank behind the commercials.

Bringing Firstrust's Difference Into Focus

Graham's popularity, personality and strong performance provided a strong foundation for us to build on in year 2. The next step was to tell audiences more about Firstrust and what customers can expect from the bank.

Season 2 centers on three themes:

• Family ownership: A family-owned bank built on relationships and a long-term commitment to its customers and communities.
• Putting customers first: Personal attention supported by technology that helps make banking easier.
• Going above and beyond: Helping customers solve problems and pursue opportunities for their businesses.

See all commercials here:

• Family thumbnail
• First thumbnail
• Roadtrip thumbnail
• Teamtime thumbnail
• Game Balls thumbnail

Each theme anchors one of the campaign's three core commercials, pairing Graham's personality with a clear picture of Firstrust's approach to banking.

EAGLES Partnership Beyond BG

Firstrust's Eagles relationship also creates opportunities for us to participate in the excitement of simply being a fan. Our billboards caarry our Official Bank of the EAGLES status, in bold and clear terms. And new this year, we've invested in Firstrust Bank wrapped SUVs that will be driving around the stadium during peak tailgate times. See here.

In addition to brand advertising, this season will continue to feature the following:

• Eagles-branded banking products, including consumer and business checking accounts with co-branded debit cards, and the Eagles Touchdown CD, which connects earning opportunities with the team's scoring.
• The Brotherly Shove Business Spotlight, which promotes businesses in Greater Philadelphia and will award this year's winner up to $25,000 in promotional assets.
• Entrepreneurs Game Plan, which invites high school students across the Greater Philadelphia region to pitch business ideas to a panel of Firstrust and Philadelphia Eagles executives.

Together, these efforts bring the partnership into the communities Firstrust serves.

Firstrust Bank is pleased to partner with Sharing Excess, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit on a mission to reduce food waste and fight food insecurity in our communities.

Recently, the Fox 29 Local Matters team visited Sharing Excess headquarters to highlight the organization's growing impact—and Firstrust's role in helping support and scale that mission. In the segment, Sharing Excess shares how it rescues and redistributes fresh, surplus food from farmers, wholesalers, and food businesses to organizations that serve people in need, with a focus on delivering healthy produce where it can make the greatest difference.

As a community partner, Firstrust supports Sharing Excess's efforts to deepen its impact right here in Philadelphia while also expanding its reach more broadly. Sharing Excess leaders note that Firstrust's shared local roots and commitment to community have helped strengthen their ability to serve neighborhoods across our region.

This partnership reflects Firstrust's longstanding commitment to investing in organizations that are making a meaningful difference—connecting people, resources, and opportunity to help our communities thrive.

Watch the Local Matters segment above to learn more about Sharing Excess and the impact of this partnership.

In business, opportunities rarely appear out of thin air.

More often, they grow from relationships built over time — through conversations, shared experiences, mutual trust, and a willingness to invest in people long before there’s a transaction on the table.

It’s a philosophy that has guided Firstrust Bank clients Meyer Design and Bala Consulting Engineers for decades.

Each company serves different clients and brings distinct expertise to the marketplace. Yet they share a common belief: businesses become stronger when leaders surround themselves with trusted partners, advisors, and peers who challenge ideas, offer perspective, and create opportunities that might never exist otherwise.

For Alicia Karr, the CEO of Ardmore-based Meyer, and Kimberly Burkert, the CEO of Wayne-based Bala, that philosophy has shaped their careers.

Relationships Create Opportunity

Karrand Burkert have known one another for more than 20 years, watching their careers evolve as each rose through the ranks of her respective organization.

Their companies occasionally work together — as they do with many firms across the architecture, engineering, and construction industry — but their connection extends beyond individual projects.

Instead, they have become trusted professional peers who understand the unique challenges of leading firms in similar fields.

“We’ve gone through many of the same things,” Karr said. “Leadership transitions. Ownership transitions. Market changes. Sometimes it’s just helpful to have someone you trust who understands what you’re dealing with.”

Those conversations aren’t about winning work.

They’re about becoming better leaders.

“We’re peers,” Karr said. “We can pick up the phone and ask, ‘How are you handling this?’ or ‘What are you seeing in the market?’ That’s incredibly valuable.”

Burkert agrees.

“It’s good to have a peer,” she said. “Especially as a CEO, there aren’t many people you can speak openly with. Having someone who understands your experiences and will give you honest feedback makes you a better leader.”

A Different Kind of Leadership

Their career paths also share another distinction.

Neither woman followed the traditional route to leading an architecture or engineering firm.

Karr spent more than two decades learning every aspect of Meyer’s business operations before becoming CEO. Burkert joined Bala as a controller, later serving as Chief Financial Officer for 20 years before becoming CEO.

“I’m not an architect, and Kim’s not an engineer,” Karr said. “We both came from the business side, and I think that’s given us a different perspective.”

That perspective emphasizes people as much as projects.

Both leaders believe successful organizations are built by investing in relationships — with employees, clients, industry peers, and mentors — not simply by delivering technical expertise.

Building Networks, Not Transactions

For both Meyer and Bala, their relationship with FirstrustBank began much like any other business decision: finding a financial institution that could support a growing business.

What has kept those relationships strong for more than two decades, however, has had far less to do with banking products than with people.

Both leaders describe Firstrust as an organization that takes the time to understand its clients’ businesses, invests in long-term relationships, and actively participates in the same business and civic communities its clients help shape.

“They’re a true partner,” Burkert said. “They’ve believed in Bala through every stage ofour growth. We really appreciate that relationship because we’ve never experienced that kind of partnership with another bank.”

That partnership, she said, extends well beyond financing.

As active participants in organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, Burkert regularly sees Firstrust leaders supporting many of the same business groups, nonprofits, and community initiatives that matter to Bala.

“We’re involved in many of the same organizations, and Firstrust is there alongside us,” Burkert said. “They’re engaged in the community, they support organizations that are making a difference, and they’re building relationship sat every level. That says a lot about who they are.”

For Karr, Firstrust demonstrated that commitment during one of the most uncertain periods in Meyer’s history.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the firm’s senior living and corporate workplace business to a standstill, securing a Paycheck Protection Program loan became critical to maintaining stability.

Rather than treating the process as another banking transaction, Firstrust worked alongside Meyer to ensure everything moved quickly.

“They were calling us, telling us what needed to be corrected, helping us through the paperwork, and making sure we stayed on track,” Karr said. “At a time when there was so much uncertainty, I never questioned whether they were going to help us get it done.”

That experience reinforced what Karr believes distinguishes Firstrust from many larger financial institutions.

“They know us,” she said. “We can pick up the phone and talk to someone who understands our business, understands our history, and genuinely wants to see us succeed.”

Some of the most meaningful relationships, however, have grown in ways that havenothing to do with financing.

Karr recalls meeting Peggy Leimkuhler, Firstrust’s EVP, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Technology Officer, by chance while seated next to one another at a leadership event. That first conversation sparked a mentoring relationship that has become an important part of Karr’s professional journey.

“If I have a business challenge that I’m having trouble figuring out, I call Peggy,” Karr said. “We don’t even talk about banking. She challenges me as a leader, holds me accountable, and continues to introduce me to people who can help me grow.”

Burker thas experienced that same spirit of connection. Before becoming CEO, Leimkuhler served as one of her sponsors for admission into the Forum of Executive Women, helping open another door in her professional journey.

“One of the most valuable things we can do as leaders is connect people with one another,” Leimkuhler said. “Sometimes that means sharing advice, sometimes it’s making an introduction, and sometimes it’s simply being someone they can call when they’re working through a difficult decision. Those relationships create opportunities that go far beyond any single business interaction.”

Karr’s and Burkert’s experiences reinforce what both leaders believe makes Firstrust different. The bank doesn’t simply provide capital. It invests in people, cultivates connections, and is active in the communities where its clients live and work.

Whether through mentorship, leadership opportunities, introductions, or trusted guidance during challenging times, Firstrust creates value that extends well beyond a banking relationship.

Creating Value Beyond Business

Both Karr and Burkert also understand the importance of creating relationships beyond their own organizations.

As women leading firms in traditionally male-dominated industries, each has intentionally built networks that provide perspective, encouragement, and accountability.

“If you’re going to take a seat at the table, you better use your voice,” Karr said. “You’re there because you earned it.”

Burkert offers similar advice.

“Don’t speak just to speak,” she said. “Speak when you have something important to say. If you’re consistently bringing value, people will listen.”

Their own careers reflect that philosophy.

Neither woman became a CEO by following a traditional path. Instead, both earned the confidence of mentors who recognized their leadership potential, invested in their development, and challenged them to take on greater responsibility.

Today, they strive to create that same environment within their own companies, fostering cultures where collaboration, trust, and open communication are viewed as competitive advantages rather than soft skills.

The Power of Partnership

Business relationships are often measured by transactions, contracts, or projects completed.

The strongest ones are measured differently.

They’re reflected in the phone call asking for advice before making a difficult decision. In the mentor who encourages someone to take the next step in their career. In the banker who understands a business well enough to help it navigate uncertain times.

And in the trusted peers who share knowledge because they believe stronger businesses contribute to a stronger community.

That is the philosophy Firstrust Bank, Meyer Design, and Bala Consulting Engineers have each embraced in their own way.

Their story isn’t about a single project or exclusive partnerships.

It’s about something much bigger: the belief that when organizations invest in meaningful relationships, opportunity follows. Those connections inspire collaboration, strengthen leaders, and help businesses grow — not just for today, but for the long term.

Learn more about how Firstrust Bank is helping people and businesses achieve success in the very region it calls home.

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