Opus Bank announced that William D. Fanter has been appointed Executive Vice President, Head of Retail Banking. Mr. Fanter, a 31-year banking veteran, will be responsible for managing Opus’ Retail Banking division, including overseeing its 46 banking offices located in California, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. He joins Opus most recently from U.S. Bancorp, where he served as Senior Vice President, Consumer & Business Banking Market Leader, in the Greater Chicago metro area.
Paul Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Opus Bank, commented, “I am pleased to welcome Bill to the Opus team as Head of Retail Banking. His experience in leading a highly profitable retail division for one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, in one of the largest and most competitive markets, will prove invaluable as we execute on our strategic goal of improving Opus’ retail banking experience.”
William Fanter, EVP and Head of Retail Banking, commented, “I am excited to be a part of a highly entrepreneurial financial institution like Opus Bank and I look forward to working closely with the Retail Banking team, and the Opus Bank leadership team, to fully leverage the opportunities in Opus’ vibrant West Coast markets.”
Mr. Fanter joins Opus most recently from U.S. Bancorp, where from 2003 to 2019 he served as Senior Vice President, Consumer & Business Banking Market Leader, responsible for managing 152 branch locations with nearly 1,000 personnel and over $9 billion in deposits in Chicago, IL. During his tenure at U.S. Bancorp, Mr. Fanter oversaw the acquisition and integration of multiple branch networks; orchestrated new corporate initiatives in small business banking, treasury management, credit card sales applications, and loan optimizer tools for bankers; and achieved top rankings in customer experience surveys. From 1995 to 2002, Mr. Fanter held various management positions at GreatBanc, Inc. in Chicago, IL, including Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Vice President Mortgage Sales, and Vice President Retail Banking. From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Fanter was Branch Manager with Bank One, Chicago. Mr. Fanter began his career in 1988 as a teller at Gary Wheaton/First National Bank of Chicago. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.