BankUnited's next CFO, Ponce Bank's CEO chairs CDBA

BankUnited hires new CFO; Ponce Bank's CEO to chair CDBA

July 25, 2025 4:44 PM

In this week's banking news roundup: BankUnited names James Mackey, formerly of Wells Fargo, its new chief financial officer; Ponce Bank President and CEO Carlos Naudon will chair the Community Development Bankers Association; Jefferson Bank's longtime President and CEO Danny Butler is retiring; and more.

BankUnited’s next CFO joins from Wells Fargo

BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Florida, has hired James Mackey, who most recently was the finance chief for Wells Fargo's consumer lending division, to be its new chief financial officer.

Mackey will join BankUnited as a senior executive vice president and report to CEO Rajinder Singh starting Aug. 15, BankUnited said in a press release. Mackey will assume the CFO role on Nov. 1 and succeed Leslie Lunak, who plans to retire on Jan. 1, 2026, the bank said.

Mackey joined Wells Fargo in 2020 and was a CFO there for six years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, he was a CFO at Freddie Mac and Ally Financial, and he was a divisional CFO at Bank of America. Mackey started his career in public accounting.

Lunak joined BankUnited in 2010 and became CFO in 2013, according to the release. —Allissa Kline

Ponce Bank’s CEO to head community development bankers group

Ponce Bank President and CEO Carlos Naudon has been named chairperson of the Community Development Bankers Association, an industry group whose members are facing pressure from Trump administration cuts in support for community development financial institutions.

CDFIs, which are certified by the Treasury Department, serve low-income and moderate-income communities.

The congressionally authorized CDFI Fund has been under fire from the Trump administration. In March, the president issued an executive order aimed at cutting the fund as much as the law allows.

Naudon has headed Ponce Bank, a Bronx, New York-based CDFI, since 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile.

"Carlos represents the very best of what it is to be a community development banker," Jeannie Jacokes, the trade group's CEO, said in a statement. "The Bronx has benefited greatly from his hard work and creative thinking in providing capital and banking services to those seeking to transform their communities."—Kevin Wack

Jefferson Bank names new CEO and president

San Antonio-based Jefferson Bank announced the retirement of longtime President and CEO Danny Butler this week. Mitch Walker will be the bank's new chief executive officer and Reagan Winslow will become president, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The transition comes as the independent, family owned bank approaches its 80th anniversary in 2026.

"Mitch and Reagan are talented, principled leaders who have evolved with this organization. Their promotions reflect our belief in cultivating leadership from within," said Jefferson Bank Chairman of the Board Paul McSween III in a Monday press release.

Danny Butler will retire after 26 years at the bank, effective Dec. 31, 2025, and nearly 50 years in the industry. Under his leadership, the bank expanded its presence throughout central Texas, grew assets from $300 million to nearly $3 billion and strengthened its portfolio of businesses.

"While part of me still feels the energy to keep going, I step aside with deep gratitude and confidence," Butler said in the release. —Traci Parks

Goldman hires Apollo real estate executive for Australia role

Goldman Sachs Group has hired Apollo Global Management executive Samuel Green as managing director for its Australian real estate investing team, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News.

Green will be based in Sydney and lead the strategic direction and growth of Goldman's equity and credit real estate investing in the country, according to the memo. A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs confirmed the contents of the document.

Green was previously a principal at Apollo with a focus on commercial real estate in Australia and New Zealand, according to the memo. Earlier in his career, he worked at Goldman's investment banking division and Macquarie Principal Finance.

In May, local media reported the departure of Juan Manas, the former head of real estate equity and debt for Goldman Sachs in Australia.

The latest hire is part of a build out of the team within Goldman's alternatives business, reflecting heightened demand for deals that's attracting global investment firms. –Richard Henderson, Bloomberg News

Carlyle hires Goldman executive Chi to grow credit business

Carlyle Group hired a Goldman Sachs executive to lead its direct lending arm as the money manager works to grow its private credit business. Alex Chi, most recently co-head of Americas private credit at Goldman's asset management arm, will join Carlyle in early 2026, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. In addition to leading the direct lending practice, he'll step in as co-deputy investment chief for the money manager's $199 billion credit unit.

Chi will join Carlyle as partner and sit on Carlyle's leadership committee, according to the memo.

Representatives for Carlyle and Goldman declined to comment. Chi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chi's arrival is a clear sign of the firm's ambitions. In Chi, Carlyle is tapping an asset management executive who has spent 30 years at Goldman. He helped lead a group that was key to Goldman's push to knit closer ties with private equity firms and was also co-CEO and co-president of Goldman's business development companies. —Olivia Fishlow and Dawn Lim, Bloomberg News

HarbourVest hires BlackRock executive to lead wealth business

HarbourVest Partners has hired an executive from BlackRock to boost its offerings for wealthy individuals, an area of increasing focus in the sector as some institutional investors pare their private equity holdings.

Venu Krishnamurthy joined the Boston-based HarbourVest, which manages more than $147 billion, as head of global private wealth. He had served as a top executive for BlackRock's Aladdin technology system, where he oversaw the wealth management business.

HarbourVest aims to tap Krishnamurthy's digital expertise to help broaden the reach of its products that target wealthy investors, Chief Executive Officer John Toomey said in an interview.

Founded as a fund of funds four decades ago, HarbourVest has struck partnerships with Vanguard Group and other partners in recent years in its bid to make private equity available to individual investors. The firm has also launched open-end funds to entice the wealthy, including one earlier this year that offered exposure to almost 40 companies across 30 managers. —Greg Ryan, Bloomberg News