Hovde veteran named president of Sunwest Bank in Calif.

Sunwest Bank in Irvine, Calif., has a new president.

The $1.1 billion-asset bank said in a press release Friday that it had promoted Carson Lappetito, who has been chief operating officer of its holding company, H Bancorp, since 2015. As president, he will be responsible for day-to-day operations and expanding the bank's operations.

Lappetito succeeded Chris Walsh, who left after accepting a post at Blue Gate Bank, a spokeswoman said.

Sunwest said it plans to keep hiring key talent, acquiring technology and building competitive products.

Lappetito "is a high-performing, innovative, and results-oriented leader who has been instrumental in our growth,” Eric Hovde, Sunwest's chairman and CEO, said in the release. “I believe his background in the financial services industry, and his ability to identify and deliver what is most important to our stakeholders, has enabled us to fortify our position as the premier bank for entrepreneurs in the region.”

Lappetito's career also includes serving as a vice president of Hovde Private Equity Advisors and an assistant portfolio manager at Hovde Capital Advisors. He also worked at Darling Consulting Group, a firm that specializes in advising financial services firms.

Carson Lappetito

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