Jerry Baker
Executive Coach
Jerry Baker joined Building Champions as an executive coach in 2009 after experiencing the impact of coaching first hand as a client and corporate partner. Mr. Baker is the former CEO, Vice Chairman, and member of the Board of Directors of First Horizon National Corporation and First Tennessee Bank.
Mr. Baker began his career in the management development program at Ford Motor Company, later became a manager of budgets and analysis for Northrop Corporation, then furthered his management development as Deputy Director for the California Department of Commerce when Ronald Reagan was Governor. He advanced through senior management ranks at Countrywide Financial, becoming Managing Director. He then became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Mortgage Group, a public company. Jerry joined First Horizon in 1998, holding several senior executive positions before becoming President and CEO of First Horizon National Corporation and First Tennessee Bank. As a member of the Board of Directors Jerry helped to refocus, develop, recruit and lead the company through a tumultuous period. Under his leadership the company had nearly 10 years of double digit growth in returns.
Throughout his career Mr. Baker has been involved in developing strategies and people, leading organizations to be more open and transparent, coaching teams and individuals to set higher goals, clearly communicating strategies and expectations, and asking more from the team and individual managers and employees to achieve greater results and realize more of their potential.
Mr. Baker is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in marketing, and he received an MBA from California State University at Long Beach.
