Opus Bank announced that Kathryn Gonzales has joined Opus as Senior Vice President, Head of Sales Integration. Gonzales, a 37-year banking veteran, is responsible for further developing and integrating Opus’ Consumer and Commercial Banking client experience.
Stephen H. Gordon, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Opus Bank, stated, “We are pleased to welcome Kathy as she joins Opus to lead our efforts to enhance the synergistic business opportunities across Opus’ broad platform of Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate Banking, and Retail Banking product and service offerings. We believe that her long history of success in driving service and operational excellence is unmatched in the industry.” Mr. Gordon concluded, “We look forward to Kathy’s contribution as Opus continues to grow and enhance its business development efforts, deposit base, and overall relationship-based commercial banking franchise.”
Gonzales joins Opus most recently from Plaza Bank, where from 2015 to the time of Plaza’s acquisition by Pacific Premier Bancorp in 2017 she served as Executive Vice President & Director of Branch Banking with the overall responsibility for driving deposit growth and delivering service and operational excellence.
From 2013 to 2015, Gonzales served as Chief Banking Officer at Farmers & Merchants Bank, where she was responsible for the oversight of business and retail banking, the development of new products and services, de novo branch expansion, and the creation and management of the bank’s business development officer program. From 2006 to 2013, Gonzales served as Senior Vice President of Retail Banking at Provident Bank, where she was responsible for the bank’s 15 retail branches, marketing department, Investment Services division, and call center operations, as well as the bank’s business development officers and sales training enterprise-wide.
From 2003 to 2006, Gonzales served as First Senior Vice President of Community Banking and President/CEO of the Business Banking (“CUSO”) at Arrowhead Credit Union Bank, where she was responsible for the bank’s 25 retail branches, wealth management efforts, call center operations, and commercial loan and deposit processing, while also serving on the firm’s credit committee. Earlier in her career, Gonzales served with Countrywide Home Loans, Bank of the West, Sanwa Bank, Citizens Business Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank. Gonzales began her banking career in 1980 at Security Pacific National Bank and subsequently Bank of America following its acquisition of Security Pacific, where she rose to the position of Assistant Vice President, Commercial Credit Officer and focused on compliance, credit review and special assets.
Gonzales is a graduate of the Business Management certificate program at Mount Saint Mary’s University and the Pacific Coast Bankers School at the University of Washington.