Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Secretary-designee Cheryll Olson-Collins, a native of Portage, Wis., spent more than two decades in the private-sector banking industry before joining the State of Wisconsin in 2007. She began her banking career with the First National Bank of Portage. She later joined Associated Bank and over a period of 20 years served in a variety of leadership positions, including 10 years as the community bank’s president in charge of 14 branches.
In 2007, Olson-Collins began her service to the State of Wisconsin as the Administrator of DFI’s Division of Corporate and Consumer Services. In 2011, she became the Administrator of DFI’s Division of Administrative Services and Technology, a position she held for more than three years. In May 2015, she became the Deputy Administrator of DFI’s Division of Banking and was later appointed to be the Administrator of DFI’s Division of Banking in May 2016. Olson-Collins most recently served in the role of DFI Deputy Secretary from January 2019 until being appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to serve as the Secretary of DFI in January 2022.
Olson-Collins earned her bachelor’s degree from the UW-Madison and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Banking. She has been active in a variety of civic organizations.