FIBT CEO Receives Prairie Business Leaders & Legacies Award

First International Bank & Trust (FIBT) is proud to announce that Chief Executive Officer S. Peter Stenehjem has received the prestigious Leaders & Legacies award from Prairie Business Magazine.

The Leaders & Legacies award is an annual recognition that celebrates high-ranking executives in North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota who have made exceptional accomplishments in business, whether in recent years or over a lifetime.

Peter Stenehjem, a fourth-generation community banker, has been with FIBT for 25 years. Peter first started his career at FIBT as a teller, moving on to serve in multiple roles, including Commercial Lender, Fargo Market President, Chief Retail Banking Officer, and President, before being named FIBT’s fourth-ever CEO on January 1, 2025.

"Watching Peter step into the CEO role has been one of the greatest honors of my life, not just as his father, but as someone who has devoted his career to FIBT,” said Stephen L. Stenehjem, chairman of the board. “Peter brings a sharp mind, a steady presence, and a deep-rooted sense of purpose to the bank. I know he’ll lead with the same values that have guided our family for generations, while steering FIBT into its next chapter of growth and innovation.”

The Leaders & Legacies award was established in 2019. Peter’s father and then-CEO Stephen L. Stenehjem was among the inaugural class of Leaders & Legacies award recipients that year.

“Being named to the 2025 Leaders & Legacies class is a big honor,” Peter says, “and it’s made even more meaningful knowing my dad received this honor, too. I am passionate about carrying forward our organization’s long legacy of serving our customers and communities, and grateful for this recognition from Prairie Business.”