James Schnoes, One Bank & Trust (Bank CFO Finalist)

James Schnoes

The J.B. Hunt family lured James Schnoes away from banking back in 1988, which led to more than 20 years of trucking-related work. In 2013, Johnelle Hunt lured him back with an assignment to help reverse the financial fortunes of One Bank & Trust of Little Rock.

Rocked by mismanagement and placed under the regulatory microscope, the bank remains a work in progress as the 56-year-old executive helps restore order at the $326 million-asset bank.

Schnoes (pronounced shnays) came to One Bank from FTJ Group LLC, which he co-founded and served as CFO to develop consumer products for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

His career began with banking when he joined First National Bank of Chicago in 1981 after graduating from Michigan State University in East Lansing with a bachelor’s degree in financial administration.

During his seven-year stint in the bank’s transportation division, Schnoes met and worked with J.B. and Johnelle Hunt.

He joined their J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. in 1988, starting as a vice president of finance and rising to senior vice president of finance and treasurer when he left the company in 1996 and took some time off.

His experience helping grow the truckload carrier from $350 million in revenue to $1.2 billion opened opportunities in transportation services and related consulting.

Schnoes later worked as CFO at Charger Inc., a flatbed trucking concern, and at Clicklogistics Inc., a trucking logistics provider.

He was managing director at Transport Capital Advisors/Transport Capital Partners, president of Cowan Global Logistics and director of logistics services at RWI Transportation.

Among his community activities are volunteer work with the Arkansas Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Junior Deputy Baseball in Little Rock.