Appointments: CEO changes at Hawthorn Bank, Gouverneur

Hawthorn Bank — Montana-based Hawthorn Bancshares has appointed Brent Giles as CEO for the company and its subsidiary Hawthorn Bank.

Giles joins from Blue Valley Bank in Kansas, where he was president and CEO. He has also led Liberty Bancorp as chairman and CEO.

In addition, Gregg Bexten, currently regional president for the Central Region, has been appointed president of the bank, while chairman, president and CEO David Turner has transitioned to executive chairman. Bexten joined Hawthorn in 1998 and has more than 30 years’ experience in banking.

Gouverneur Bancorp — The New York holding company’s CEO and president Faye Waterman resigned on April 14. Gouverneur, which owns Gouverneur Savings and Loan Association, has appointed its former president and CEO Charles Van Vleet back to the roles on a temporary basis while they conduct a search for a permanent successor.

BCB Bank — Mark Noto is the New Jersey bank’s new chief lending officer, while David Garcia has been appointed executive vice president of BCB’s newly formed subsidiary, BCB Capital Group.

Noto joins from Citizens Bank — previously Investors Bank — where he was executive vice president and head of commercial banking, helping grow its commercial and industrial loan division over 10 years.

He replaces Garcia in the role, while Garcia has been tasked with leading BCB Capital Group’s work in the alternative lending space.

FV Bank — Luz Mabel del Valle is the Puerto Rican bank’s new chief risk officer and deputy chief compliance officer, responsible for all risk management functions across the bank.

She has worked in several senior risk and operational roles in her 20-year career, including chief compliance and accounting officer at Encanto Group, chief compliance officer at Stern International Bank, and a principal examiner at the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions.

CFM — Stephen Baker has been appointed CEO of CFM, a technology company exclusively serving the banking sector. He replaces John Smith, who will remain as vice chairman of CFM’s board of directors.

CFM has been involved in a series of M&A transactions combining it with fellow technology providers NXTsoft and IMM. Baker was previously president and general manager of Zego, a provider of real estate software and payments solutions.

Equity Bank — Chief operating officer Greg Kossover has resigned from his role and retired from the Kansas-based bank. He intends to remain on the board of directors of the bank’s parent company Equity Bancshares.

Kossover first began working with Equity as a director before becoming chief financial officer in 2013, helping to oversee the bank’s IPO in 2015. He became chief operating officer in 2020.

Separately, Richard Sems has been hired to take over as president of Equity Bank. He joins from First Bank of St Louis in Missouri, where he was chief banking officer.

TopLine Financial Credit Union — The Minnesota-based credit union has appointed Mick Olson as its new president and CEO. He was previously the company’s chief financial officer, a position he has held since joining the company in 2006.

Jeremy Ebert has been hired to take over as chief financial officer, joining from Wings Financial Credit Union where he was vice president and treasurer.

Fulton Bank — Pennsylvania’s Fulton Bank has hired Mark Hoffman as chief investment officer for its Fulton Financial Advisors and Fulton Private Bank subsidiaries. He joins from PNC Asset Management where he was a managing director and head of portfolio management. He has also led PNC’s alternative investments arm, and previously worked for two hedge funds and global consultancy group McKinsey.

Hanover Community Bank — McClelland Wilcox has been appointed president of the New York-based bank, succeeding Brian Finneran who retired in February.

Wilcox joined Hanover in 2021 when it acquired Savoy Bank, where he was president and CEO. Since the acquisition he has been senior executive vice president and chief lending and revenue officer.

Esquire Bank — New York-based Esquire Bank has appointed its CEO and president Andrew Sagliocca as vice chairman of its board with immediate effect. He has been a member of the board since 2008 and was appointed to his current roles in 2009.