Mr. Joe Dunaway is an Army National Guard Veteran (Staff Sergeant) who served from 2003-2010. During his military service, he began his career as an M1A1 Abrams Armor Crewman (19K) at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Following basic and advanced training, his unit was reclassified to Avenger Crewman (14S), where he completed additional training at Fort Bliss, Texas. The unit was subsequently reclassified as Military Police (31B) and stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Joe’s unit was activated and deployed to Grafenwöhr, Germany, from 2005-2007 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Following his deployment, Joe completed his military service while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Joe joined Fifth Third Bank in 2008 through the Information Technology Leadership Program and has spent more than 17 years leading technology, operations, and strategic transformation initiatives across the organization. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles focused on technology modernization, regulatory compliance, operational resiliency, and large-scale enterprise change.
Today, Joe serves as an Enterprise Transformation Director, where he leads complex, cross-functional programs that deliver strategic business outcomes and strengthen the bank’s operational and regulatory capabilities. He currently serves as the executive leader for Fifth Third’s Direct Express transformation program, one of the bank’s most significant consumer banking initiatives. In this role, Joe provides enterprise-wide leadership across technology, operations, compliance, risk management, finance, product, and external partner organizations to successfully deliver new capabilities while ensuring regulatory compliance, operational readiness, and a seamless customer experience.
Joe serves as the Executive Advocate for Fifth Third’s Military Business Resource Group and is passionate about supporting veterans, military families, and community service organizations throughout the region.
Joe and his wife, Samantha, live in Liberty Township, Ohio, with their three children, Felicia, Juliana, and Jackson. Outside of work, the family enjoys spending time together camping and boating on Lake Cumberland whenever they get the opportunity.
