List

U.S. Bank, Wells, Citi and Great Western: Bankers on the move

September 6, 2018 7:00 AM

August and early September have been a busy time for executive hiring and promotions at banks of all sizes.

A major bank has a new chief financial officer, two other big banks named new chief risk officers, and two holding companies announced new CEOs of their banking units. A telecom executive was named the human resources chief of a large bank, and two other banks promoted leadership from within.

The Federal Reserve, too, will be looking to fill a key position after the central bank's longtime head of research announced his retirement.

From Washington to Silicon Valley, and everywhere in between, here's a roundup of key hires.

Generational change at Citi?

Citigroup said Sept. 4 that Mark Mason had been named chief financial officer.

Some older hands at Citigroup are moving on, and one of its younger leaders got a big promotion.

Citi has named Mark Mason (pictured above), 47, as the successor to Chief Financial Officer John Gerspach, the company said Tuesday. Gerspach, 65, will retire in March after serving as CFO since 2009.

Mason earlier led Citi Holdings, the unit formed to sell off unwanted assets that Citi collected in the run-up to the financial crisis. Mason currently is CFO of Citi’s institutional clients group, which includes investment banking and wealth management.

Citi also said that its North American head, William Mills, 62, and Jim Cowles, 63, who runs Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will both leave at year-end.

Read more here.

New chief risk officer for U.S. Bancorp

U.S. Bancorp named Jodi Richard as its new vice chairman and chief risk officer.

The Minneapolis company named Jodi Richard to the post, effective Oct. 1. She will succeed Bill Parker, who announced his retirement in May.

Richard currently serves as chief operational risk officer for the $461 billion-asset company, where she oversees independent testing and operational controls. Her current role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including data protection, fraud prevention, enterprise security and crisis management. She joined U.S. Bancorp in 2014.

Read more here.

Shuffle in Wells Fargo's chief risk role

A customer exits a Wells Fargo & Co. bank branch in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Wells Fargo & Co.'s financial ties to gunmakers and the National Rifle Association have prompted the American Federation of Teachers to remove the bank from its list of recommended mortgage lenders. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Mark Weintraub, the bank’s chief auditor for consumer banking, became Wells Fargo’s chief operational risk officer after the departure of Mark D’Arcy. D'Arcy had been with the company about a year and a half.

Great Western names next president

Jeff Veire

Great Western Bancorp in Sioux Falls, S.D., has promoted a regional executive to be its new president.

The $12 billion-asset bank said that Doug Bass (pictured above) would also be chief operating officer.

Six months ago Great Western announced plans to split the chief executive and president roles because of its growth. Ken Karels, who had been president since November 2010, will remain chairman and CEO.

Bass, who previously served as a regional president for five states, was president of First American Bank Group out of Iowa for 11 years before joining Great Western in 2009.

Read more here.

U.S. Bank adds HR chief from Sprint

Ismat Aziz, chief human resources officer of U.S. Bank

The $461 billion-asset bank said it has named Ismat Aziz (pictured left) as its new chief human resources officer, replacing Jennie Carlson, who retired from the role earlier this year.

Aziz will direct human resources strategy including talent acquisition and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, employee engagement, and diversity and inclusion.

Read more here.

Federal Reserve research chief stepping down

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building stands in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told lawmakers on Thursday that she intends to stay in the job until her term expires in January 2018 while extolling the virtues of the Fed's independence from political interference. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

The central bank's head of research is retiring after a 30-year career with the agency.

David Wilcox has served as director of the Fed's Division of Research and Statistics for seven years. During his tenure, he also developed new indicators to track the status of the U.S. economy.

He will retire at the end of the year. The search for his successor will begin later this year.

Learn from the upstarts

Yong Lim

Morgan Stanley has recruited a top executive from the industry's leading independent robo adviser as part of its effort to expand digital services for customers and financial advisers.

Former Betterment Chief Marketing Officer Paul Halpern has joined as head of deposits and banking services for the Morgan Stanley Private Banking Group, the bank said Tuesday.

Halpern will be tasked with the development of digital banking products and solutions, as well as working with financial advisers on client engagement, the bank said.

He will coordinate with Paul Vienick, head of Morgan Stanley online/mobile and digital banking, and report to Eric Heaton, head of Morgan Stanley’s private banking group.

Read more here.

Silicon Valley Bank promotes top tech execs

Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara.

Silicon Valley Bank has tapped two insiders for top tech roles.

Nick Shevelyov, the former chief security officer and chief privacy officer at the $54 billion-asset bank, will now serve as its chief information officer. Robin Staples, former head of IT digital and core banking solutions, will be its chief technology officer.

Shevelyov is succeeding Roget Leone, who is retiring, the bank said.

Read more here.

WCF Bancorp names CEO

Michael Segner, formerly president and CEO of Peoples Trust & Savings Bank in Clive, Iowa, was named the head of WCF Bancorp in Webster City, Iowa.

The parent company of the $119 million-asset WCF Financial Bank said in a regulatory filing that Segner became the president and CEO of the parent company and the bank on Aug. 27.

Segner, who joined the company's board, succeeded Stephen Mourlam, who retired.

Read more here.

National Commerce selects president

Richard Murray IV, CEO of National Bank of Commerce

National Commerce in Birmingham, Ala., has a new chairman and president.

The $3.2 billion-asset company completed a 15-month succession process by naming Richard Murray IV (pictured left) as its chairman. Murray, National Commerce's CEO, succeeded John H. Holcomb III.

Holcomb is now vice chairman. He also chairs the executive committee.

Regions promotes execs

Regions Bank in Birmingham, Ala., announced two promotions.

Kate Danella (pictured left) will be head of strategic planning and corporate development at the $125 billion-asset bank. Danella will lead a team that specializes in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and divestitures and corporate development. She will report to John Turner, president and CEO of Regions.

Leslie Carter-Prall will take on Danella’s previous role of head of private wealth management. Carter-Prall joined Regions in 1991 and has held several positions, including Indiana area president.

Read more here.

Cordorus Valley Bancorp picks PeoplesBank head

Craig L. Kauffman, President and Chief Executive Officer, PeoplesBank

Cordorus Valley Bancorp announced it had hired Craig Kauffman to lead PeoplesBank.

Kauffman will serve as president and CEO of the $1.8 billion-asset bank and as chief operating officer of the holding company.

Kauffman joined Codorus Valley from BB&T, where he had been central Pennsylvania regional president since August 2015.

Read more here.

Insider is Toyota Financial Services' new CEO

Toyota Financial Services in Plano, Texas, has tapped an insider as its next leader.

The finance and insurance arm of the automotive giant made Mark Templin its president and CEO on Aug. 31. Templin succeeded Mike Groff, who retired.

Templin was chairman of Toyota Motor Credit and president and chief operating officer of Toyota Financial Services. He also succeeded Groff as CEO of the Americas region of Toyota Financial Services International.

Read more here.

Waterstone chooses mortgage unit chief

Waterstone Financial in Wauwatosa, Wis., has hired an industry veteran to lead its mortgage company.

A.W. Pickel III will become the CEO of Waterstone Mortgage on Sept. 15, the $1.8 billion-asset parent company said. The mortgage company is a subsidiary of WaterStone Bank.

Pickel joined Waterstone Mortgage as president in June after serving as president of AmCap Mortgage’s Midwestern division since 2016.