Chrisman & Company Seeking President for Western Bankers Association
February 5, 2019 – The Western Bankers Association (WBA) has retained Chrisman & Company, a Los Angeles-based executive search firm specializing in the financial services industry, to conduct a search for its next president and CEO. Past CEO Simone Lagomarsino left the company in December. The board of directors named COO Maurine Padden interim president and CEO.
Managing partner Michele Gil and founding partner Timothy Chrisman are leading the assignment for Chrisman & Company. They said they will work to identify the candidate whose approach to the position will best augment the overall success of the association.
“The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge of the banking/financial services industry, be a highly visible spokesperson, an inspirational leader, have had reasonable exposure as an advocate as well as someone who can collaborate with the board of directors and the management team,” said Ms. Gil.
The successful candidate will serve as the managing executive and ambassador for the WBA and the western banking community, said Chrisman & Company. The position will report to the chairman/executive committee of the board of directors and will work to develop long-term strategic plans that will ensure sustainability of the association’s business model. In addition, the CEO will address three major areas: advocacy, serving as the “voice of the industry,” and membership relations. The CEO will be responsible for creating tactical plans to address these areas.
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“Candidates for the position should have a proven track record as a visionary leader who is a strong and dynamic spokesperson with a high level of confidence and an ability to speak to various constituencies at multiple levels,” the search firm said. “The successful candidate will be a motivator, team leader and builder, who can provide a forum where banks of all sizes can complement each other and create synergistic opportunities.”
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In 2018, two of the most trusted banking associations, the California Bankers Association (CBA) and Western Independent Bankers (WIB) merged to form the WBA. Representing 13 states across the western U.S., the WBA is one of the largest and most dynamic state-banking trade associations in the country. The WBA serves nearly 200 members in three focused areas: professional development, legislation and advocacy, and strategic partnerships.
Trusted Recruitment Team
Founded in 1980, Chrisman & Company provides specialized recruitment services with a focus on the financial services industry on a national scale. The firm has a longstanding reputation of developing lasting relationships with many of its client companies. The recruitment team is recognized for its knowledge and experience in the executive recruiting and financial services arenas, along with a proven record of performance.
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Chrisman & Company recently announced the appointment of Ms. Gil as managing partner of the firm after having served for 25 years under the leadership of Mr. Chrisman. She will partner with him to deliver recruitment advice and succession planning to both new and existing clients. Ms. Gil began her career at the firm in 1992 and has more than 25 years of recruiting and management experience. She specializes in leading searches for executive level management, C-level positions in banking and financial services. She also manages the firm’s bank board practice and has been instrumental in placing board members with a focus on function expertise and/or diversity. Ms. Gil currently serves on the diversity and inclusion advisory committee for the Western Bankers and serves as a board member of the International Bankers Association of California.
Mr. Chrisman’s experience spans over 38 years in the search profession with a prior 10 years in the financial services industry. He served as chairman (non-executive), from 2011 to 2014 at BANC of California. Mr. Chrisman also completed a 10-year term as director with eight of those years as chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco and was also the former chairman of the council of FHLB.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
