FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” announced several leadership changes:

• Matt Cornwell, who previously served as President of the Northwest Market which includes Arvada and Wheat Ridge, was officially named President of the downtown Denver Market.
• Matthew Doyle, who previously served as President of Loan Review, is now President of Investments.

In addition, the following Executive Vice Presidents have been promoted:

• Kristen Bernhardt who will step into Cornwell’s position as the next Northwest Market President, overseeing Arvada and Wheat Ridge.
• Derek Longwell was named President of the West Market which includes Lakewood.
• Luis Gallardo will serve as President of Loan Review.
• And Josie Huelskamp will serve as President of Retail and Digital Banking.

The new appointments result from previous FirstBank Presidents retiring or being elevated to C-level positions. For instance, the company recently promoted their former President of Retail and Digital Banking, Kelly Kaminskas, to Chief Digital Officer, and President of Human Resources, Shannon Jones, to Chief People Officer.

“FirstBank is a big proponent of promote-from-within, and one of the many reasons our organization continues to be financially strong and perform well above industry norms is because we look to cultivate talent and grow our company’s leadership internally,” said Jim Reuter, CEO of FirstBank. “Matt, Kristen, Matthew, Derek, Luis and Josie all have a strong track record and the expertise to lead our key markets and product areas, while supporting the bank’s strategic vision. We know they’re capable of doing great things, and we’re excited to see them in action.”

Late last year, FirstBank rolled out its long-term strategic plan, which includes an emphasis on “Include All,” or ensuring diversity is represented at each level of the organization and more resources are provided to bolster equity and inclusion within and outside of the company. To date, 36 percent of FirstBank’s more than 2,700 employees identify as a person of color and 56 percent of the bank’s management team – from assistant manager to the C-suite – are women.