The Importance of Mentors in Life

As a fourth generation Madisonian, Bob Schlicht shares important life-changing experiences and advice he received from family mentors, teachers, coaches, psychologists, bankers, and business leaders in The Importance of Mentors in Life. Schlicht's autobiography is rich with stories about his father, professional golfer Karl "Kully" Schlicht Sr., his time at UW-Madison as a student-athlete and his many years as President of Valley Bank of Madison and M&I Bank in Madison. Filled with anecdotes and photos, Schlicht fondly recalls classmates, teammates, employees and events from his and his family's years in Madison. He covers the history of banks that merged with the M&I Banks in southern Wisconsin.

The Schlicht family was very involved in the golfing profession. The book covers the history of some of the the best golfers in Wisconsin golf history. His father, Karl "Kully" Schlicht Sr., was a well-known Madison golf professional who played in four U.S. Open Golf Championships in the 1930s. He also played in several exhibition matches against United States Open Golf champions in Madison, including Walter Hagan, Gene Sarazen, Johnny Farrell, and Dr. Cary Middlecoff. In 1972, Kully Schlicht was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame.

As a student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Schlicht played football for the UW Badgers. He shares stories about friends and teammates on the University of Wisconsin football team. His friend and Badger teammate, Mike Webster, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease. His tragic story and last days were portrayed in the movie Concussion. His story was ground breaking and is highlighted in this book. M&I Bank Corporation, founded in 1847, was a strong local and nationwide banking organization for over 160 years. The Importance of Mentors in Life delves into the proud history of this bank and what decisions were made by senior management that led to the eventual sale of M&I Corporation. Schlicht offers an inside view on how the internal restructuring of the unit banks and the 2007-2009 economic recession impacted the M&I Corporation. Readers will appreciate learning the management information needed to run a large commercial bank that Bob Schlicht shared with his successor. Additionally, the book offers advice on the management process, hiring and firing issues, the Style Recognition Indicator Index and Myers-Briggs personality type indices.

Schlicht revisits 1929 and the impact the Great Depression had on America and its banks. Bankers lost their jobs, and often their banks. Readers will be enthralled by vicariously experiencing the 1931 robbery` of the Kraft State Bank in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Many believed that this "crime of the century" could've been the work of the infamous bank robber, John Dillinger and his gang. This robbery was recognized as one of the most horrific bank robberies in the history of Wisconsin.

The author, an experienced banker, also lays out his plan to reduce the United States deficit of nearly $20 trillion of debt. This plan dramatically reduces our country's deficit issues. The author contends that we need to solve our country's debt issues to ensure the safety and soundness of our country and its citizens.