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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

25 Bankers Who Keep the Valley’s Capital Coming

25 Bankers Who Keep the Valley’s Capital Coming Scott Aney Senior Vice President California Federal Bank, Sherman Oaks A 22-year banking veteran Began his career with Bank of America as a management trainee, working his way up to head middle-market commercial banking and marketing in the West Los Angeles area where he helped build the bank’s commercial lending business Joined CalFed in 1999 where he led the bank’s expansion of its commercial lending unit through scores of loans and finance agreements with small and medium-sized firms Karen Nissim, controller for Van Nuys-based Regency Lighting Inc., said Aney has a knack for problem-solving and creating opportunities for financing packages. “No other banker in the Valley has the combination of solid judgement and creativity that we always get when we deal with Scott,” she said. – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ Bita Ardalan Senior Vice President Union Bank of California, Woodland Hills Worked in the banking industry for the last 19 years With Union Bank for more than 16 years, 14 of them at Union Bank’s San Fernando Valley branch Known in the industry as a creative, aggressive banker whose team comes up with creative solutions for lending programs and others Serves on the board of the Los Angeles Association for Corporate Growth and has just been asked to serve on the Business Advisory Council at California Lutheran University Originally from Iran. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Brandon Bogeaus Regional Vice President and Manager Mercantile National Bank, Encino Twelve-year banking veteran, starting in operations and moving to branch manager before assuming current duties Opened first San Fernando Valley branch of Mercantile National Bank a year ago Shaped bank’s business specializing in entertainment, health care and community-based non-profits to reflect Valley economy Known for steadfast attention to client service Monitors each account personally and contacts clients directly to alert them if it looks like they may overdraw their account Has also been known to personally pay overdraws for those with good banking relationships Installed a paging system that automatically contacts him if a client calls after hours; clients who call in the evening expecting Bogeaus to return the call in the morning are often surprised to get a call back the same night “One time when I needed $5,000 (after hours) he actually met me at the restaurant after work and gave me my withdrawal,” said Larry Sherman, president and CEO, Nations Surgery Centers in Westlake Village, who took his account to Mercantile when Bogeaus moved there from his previous position at First Professional Bank. “Without that help we might not have been able to grow as fast,” Sherman said. “If he trusts you, you’ve got a phenomenal person there you can bank with.” – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ Darrell Brown Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Wells Fargo Bank, Canoga Park Thirty years of experience in financial services Joined Wells Fargo 10 years ago and has held current position since 1999 Oversees 44 banking units in five markets with $3.5 billion in deposits Manages P & L; center with 1,200 team members providing retail banking, commercial lending investment and insurance services Responsible for building bank’s presence in Valley markets and tailoring services to specific needs of individual markets Oversaw development of mortgage program that takes into account unverified income Partnered with Mexican Consulate to develop an alternate form of identification enabling those without driver’s licenses to establish bank accounts Sits on boards for numerous local groups including Valley Family Center, Urban Financial Services Coalition and Alkebu-Ian Youth Center. – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ Jason Brown Vice President Comerica Bank, Sherman Oaks A seven-year banking veteran Worked with Manufacturers Bank in Australia before arriving in the U.S., began working with Comerica Bank in the San Fernando Valley six years ago Known for his “hands-on” approach to business and asks his clients to call his cell phone anytime with any concerns Has closed a number of major deals, including recent $20 million loan package for Goleta-based shoe manufacturer Deckers Outdoor Corp. and $16 million financing for Calabasas-based National Technical Systems Born in Sydney, Australia. – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ Karen Brown Senior Vice President U.S. Bank, Encino Got into the industry 22 years ago as a collateral analyst for Barkleys Business Credit, now Fleet Boston Group in Sherman Oaks Went on to serve as loan team manager for City National Bank for five years and then at California United Bank in Encino as a team manager for 10 years With U.S. Bank the last three and a half years As a cancer survivor, has put her experience into efforts to assist organizations such as the City of Hope and served as a captain in the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Bruce English President Bay View Financial Corp., Encino Twenty-two-year commercial lending and finance veteran joined Bay View in 1997 Started up the asset-lending division and Southern California headquarters in Encino In five years has taken the lending division from assets of $24 million to $110 million in loans Developed strategy to compete against larger institutions by approximating the workings of local community banks, using a streamlined approval process and personal relationships with borrowers Colleagues praise English’s asset-based lending expertise. “He can make loans to companies banks wouldn’t lend to because he has special skills analyzing the collateral,” said John Roberts, senior vice president and marketing manager at Fleet Capital, who has worked with English. – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ Jack Feldman President and CEO First Commerce Bank, Encino Twenty-six years in banking First Commerce is the fourth bank he has been the CEO of After 16 years in the San Fernando Valley, Feldman left in 1997 when his Bank of Los Angeles was sold; returned in 2000 when his then-struggling Brentwood Bank of California changed its name to First Commerce Bank and moved into former Bank of Los Angeles building “Jack is the kind of guy that you want to do business with. He just knows how to treat customers,” said Martin M. Cooper, president of Woodland Hills-based Cooper Communications. – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ Victor Gonzalez Financial Services Executive Countrywide Bank, Northridge Formerly a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter At Countrywide since February, a bank that has been a subsidiary of Countrywide Credit Industries for less than a year Countrywide Bank executive vice president Kathy Ross said Gonzalez has deep roots in the community and, “as a result, he has brought in millions of dollars in new deposits in the very short time he’s been with us. And believe me, it’s harder to get people to give you money than to get them to take it.” Formerly a supervisor of the Santa Clarita Sports Complex, currently an active member of the Northridge/Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce and volunteer with the Newhall/Santa Clarita Community Center. – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Tamara Gurney President and CEO Mission Valley Bank, Sun Valley Led an investor group to establish Mission Valley Bank in 2001 in Sun Valley After one full year in operation, the bank has deposits of $40 million and assets of $45 million Gurney has led the bank’s community involvement through support of activities such as the San Fernando Valley Fair, participation in area service groups and a series of bank-sponsored seminars to provide education about banking to the Northeast Valley Began her career with a 20-year stint at American Pacific State Bank in Sun Valley Rose through American Pacific’s ranks to become its executive vice president and chief operating officer before it was acquired by City National Bank in 1999. – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ Jeri Harman Principal and Managing Director American Capital Strategies, Woodland Hills Twenty years experience in financing with more than $1 billion in total transactions Spent more than 11 years in various positions at Prudential Insurance Company of America President of the Association of Corporate Growth – Los Angeles and director of MACC Private Equities Inc., Sunvest Industries Inc., ThreeSixty Sourcing Ltd. and ACG International Known for meticulousness and ability to solve problems equitably Attorney Tom Stromberg said, “Her experience permits her to look at a company and see its true value. She’s able to understand things quickly while other people take longer and may arrive at wrong conclusions.” – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ Fred Lionetti Senior Vice President Continental Business Credit Inc., Woodland Hills Known in the banking community as the “undisputed dean of commercial finance lenders” Director of the Commercial Finance Conference of California, which, as past president and chairman, he helped expand from a membership of about 20 to more than 100 Trained on the East Coast and has served the banking community for more than 50 years … Active fundraiser for the City of Hope, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, which has also honored him as “Father of the Year,” and Viking Charities, which raises funds for inner city youth Loves to tell jokes and says he believes humor is the key to longevity and happiness. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Scott A. McAfee President and CEO WMC Mortgage Corp. Woodland Hills Joined WMC in 1997 after 20 years experience in the banking industry Reengineered the company and, after a $20 million investment in online lending technology, created one of the only mortgage lending businesses operating exclusively on the Internet Built WMC’s loan production to $644 million in the first quarter of 2002 from $160 million in the first quarter of 2001 WMC was recently ranked the eighth largest non-prime mortgage company in the U.S. by Thomson Financial In 1992, McAfee was named to American Banker magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 list He currently serves on the board of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ John Marquis Vice President California Federal Bank, Sherman Oaks During 25 years in banking, has held positions ranging from marketing and branch administration to senior management in commercial lending Served as branch administrator for TransWorld Bank, headquartered in Sherman Oaks, prior to its acquisition by CalFed Received an MBA from USC and teaches finance and economics at the University of Phoenix Served as chairman of the Valley Community Clinic, Pacific Lodge Home for Boys and the Valley Economic Development Center’s loan committee Also a board member of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, Valley Economic Development Center and the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center Foundation. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Craig Miller Director Mosaic Capital & Mosaic Capital Securities, Sherman Oaks Has completed transactions valued at more than $1.5 billion as a commercial banker and real estate entrepreneur Investment banker who provides merger and acquisitions advice and financing and valuation services for rapidly growing and distressed middle-market companies Wells Fargo’s John Sehrer said Craig Miller is “the predominant force at the best investment banking group in the Valley” Began commercial banking career with Union Bank in 1976, eventually becoming senior vice president in 1986 and regional manager of the bank’s Orange County office, Union’s largest real estate group In 1987, became executive vice president and CFO of Told Corp., an industrial development firm where he negotiated and managed financing, acquisitions, leasing and management of industrial properties Particular industry expertise in electronic distribution and components, telecommunications, aircraft parts, injection molding and food distribution. – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Barry Morgenstern Managing Director Glick Morgenstern Capital Group, LLC, Encino Began in the commercial finance business at Foothill Capital in 1974 Was involved in corporate financing for companies getting in on the early stages of the telecommunications industry in the 1980s, specifically cable and long-distance retailers Formed Glick Morgenstern with partner Dan Glick in 1986 to represent middle-market companies in need of asset-based financing Serves on the board of the Family and Child Guidance Center in Northridge, which provides mental health services to criminally abused children and at-risk youth. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Christopher D. Myers Regional Vice President Mellon First Business Bank, Encino Joined Mellon in 1998 after management team in the Valley left to form a new bank Rebuilt staff and focused efforts on mid-sized companies seeking credit between $1 million and $15 million Increased assets by more than $75 million and doubled profits Myers’ success as a rainmaker for the bank is due in part to his focus on mid-sized companies that are often overlooked by larger banks and his ability to understand and react to the unique banking needs of different types of businesses, colleagues say “What really sold us on Mellon First Business was that Chris seemed to quickly grasp the important points to our business,” said Ken Menager, controller for Bernards Bros. Inc., a San Fernando-based construction contractor Myers has also worked at Sanwa Bank and First Interstate Bank of California during his nearly two decade-long career. He is active in Professionals Networking Group, Junior Achievement and Harvard Club of Southern California, among other affiliations. – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ Richard Pankow Senior Vice President Comerica Bank, Sherman Oaks Since his arrival at Comerica in 1999, the Sherman Oaks commercial lending unit has doubled its portfolio size and the branch has tripled its deposit base Helped consolidate Comerica’s operations at newly-acquired Imperial Bank branches Worked 24 years at Bank of America where he established the bank’s auto dealer financing group in 1979 and its Small Business Center in 1988 Headed Bank of America’s first and only commercial gold lending deal with Burbank-based jewelry maker OroAmerica Inc. in 1996 Rickey Gelb, general partner of Gelb Enterprises in Encino, said Pankow’s success comes from his dedication and integrity. “He’s a straight shooter. He tells you everything from the beginning and at the 11th hour nothing changes. You don’t get surprises from him,” Gelb said. – Carlos Martinez _________________________________________________ John Roberts Senior Vice President Fleet Capital Corp., Sherman Oaks Joined Fleet Capital in 1988 Responsible for providing more than $2.5 billion in committed lines of credit to more than 60 companies Focused for the last 13 years on business development Incorporated several new products including the “senior stretch” program, which lends on trade names and other non-traditional assets Member of fundraising committees for the American Diabetes Association, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, KCET Public Television, Aids Walk LA and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. – Jacqueline Fox _________________________________________________ Carl Schatz Chairman Encino State Bank Began his banking career in 1938 at the age of 18 Since then, the octogenarian has founded a total of four banks. The first, Bank of Encino, was sold to United California Bank in 1961, in a deal that increased the stock value to shareholders by 50 percent …When CEO of his second startup, Independence Bank became the first bank to raise deposits from .5 percent to 1 percent After selling Independence Bank to a group of Asian investors, Schatz founded in 1986 his second institution called the Bank of Encino. The bank was later merged with Western Bank In 1997, Schatz raised $5 million from investors to found Encino State Bank Built bank to assets of $129 million as of June 2001. – Shelly Garcia _________________________________________________ John Sehrer Vice President, Commercial Banking Group Wells Fargo Bank, Woodland Hills As a vice president of Wells Fargo’s Commercial Banking Group in Woodland Hills, Sehrer is the bank’s expert in the San Fernando Valley on business development for the Middle Market Group Concentrates on developing middle market bank relationships in the Valley, Northern Los Angeles and Ventura and Santa Barbara counties Accountant Greg Lippe said, “John is the top marketing guy in the nation for banks.” A recipient of Wells Fargo’s Golden Spoke Award for being the top producer in the nation “John has incredible integrity, tremendous dedication to the community and he’d never leave a client high and dry,” said Deborah Feldman of Arter & Hadden. “He’ll always point them in the right direction.” A past co-chairman of the VICA Business Forecast Conference and still active in VICA, Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, Commercial Finance Conference of California, Gold Coast Forum and Software Council. – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Richard C. Taylor President and CEO First State Bank of California, Granada Hills Has been CEO of the oldest community bank in the San Fernando Valley (formerly known as the Bank of Granada Hills) since 1987 First State has increased total assets in the last 12 months from $91 million to $135 million; deposits have increased from $82 million to $124 million Under his leadership the bank has been designated a Super Premier Performing Bank by Findley Reports and a Five-Star Bank by Bauer National Financial Reports Prior to 1987, Taylor was a vice president with the Beverly Hills office of United California Bank and a regional vice president in the San Fernando Valley for Imperial Bank. – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Mark Turk Senior Vice President Silicon Valley Bank, Westlake Village Manager of the Silicon Valley Bank’s Westlake Village regional office Actively involved in financing start-up and emerging biotech companies along the 101 Corridor and the Central Coast region Formerly chief credit officer at Pacific Century Bank and a vice president at Wells Fargo and Bank of America Previous career as an engineer with Allied-Signal Corp. helped him develop an understanding of the high-tech world Board memberships include UC Santa Barbara Center for Entrepreneurial and Engineering Management, Central Coast MIT Forum and Central Coast Venture Forum. – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Timothy Turner Senior Vice President and Regional Manager LaSalle Business Credit, Glendale Joined LaSalle Business Credit via the acquisition of Mellon Business Credit in 1999 Formerly Western regional manager for Sanwa Business Credit Corp. Currently director and former president and chairman of Commercial Finance Conference of California Past chairman and founding member of the California Secretary of States Users Advisory Committee Scott Aney of California Federal Bank said, “Tim knows his business, knows his credit real well and is a fierce competitor.” – Michael Hart _________________________________________________ Paul Whitney Senior Vice President Wells Fargo Bank, Woodland Hills John Roberts of Fleet Capital said he’s “an institution” and John Sehrer called him the “granddaddy of commercial banking” Named a regional vice president at Wells Fargo in 1986; since then he’s had primary responsibility for all the bank’s operations in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and Ventura and Santa Barbara counties Concentrates on providing banking services to business enterprises with annual revenues in the $20 million to $500 million category First went to work at Wells Fargo in 1975 as a commercial loan officer in its Beverly Hills branch Subsequently served as a commercial lender for its Middle Market Group in Los Angeles and San Francisco Opened Wells Fargo’s regional commercial banking office in Warner Center in 1980. – Michael Hart

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