Opus Bank (“Opus”) (NASDAQ: OPB) announced today the further expansion of its Commercial Banking team in the Los Angeles metropolitan region with the hires of two senior bankers. Tate A. Bowman, a 33-year banking veteran, and Tayo Okusanya, a 13-year banking veteran, each joined Opus as Managing Director, Senior Client Manager and is responsible for further expanding Opus’ commercial and corporate client base in the Los Angeles region.

Jim Haney, Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial Banking, stated, “We are thrilled that Tate and Tayo have joined Opus Bank’s Commercial Banking team in the Los Angeles metropolitan region, the second most populous metropolitan region in the country. Both are highly regarded banking veterans, each with tremendous depth of experience in their markets providing commercial banking products, services, and solutions to entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporations.” Mr. Haney added, “I look forward to having the additional banker coverage in the vibrant and substantial Los Angeles market and anticipate that Tate and Tayo will add to the productivity and success of our Commercial Banking division as we look to grow the division’s client base and total footings.”

Stephen H. Gordon, Chief Executive Officer and President of Opus Bank, commented, “We are pleased with the successes we are experiencing in our efforts to further build-out and strengthen our Commercial Banking team in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan market. We look forward to achieving similar success in the coming months as we continue to expand our commercial banking presence in the other major West Coast metropolitan markets served by Opus.”

Mr. Bowman joins Opus most recently from Bank of the West, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas, where from 2017 he served as Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager. While at Bank of the West, Mr. Bowman was responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of small business and lower middle market commercial clients comprised of manufacturing and import/export companies and professional services firms in the Downtown Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley markets. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Bowman served as Vice President, Relationship Manager at Pacific Commerce Bank, where he focused on developing depository and treasury management client relationships, as well as commercial real estate, C&I, and SBA lending opportunities. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Bowman served as Vice President, Relationship Manager with JPMorgan Chase. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Bowman served with Citibank, rising to the position of Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer. Mr. Bowman began his banking career at Wells Fargo Bank in 1985 within Wells Fargo’s retail banking division.

Mr. Okusanya joins Opus most recently from Bank of America, where he served since 2011 as Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, and developed and managed a portfolio of middle market commercial banking clients, providing strategic advice as well as commercial banking, lending, and treasury products to clients in the Los Angeles region. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Okusanya served as Vice President, Relationship Manager at MUFG Union Bank, where he grew and managed a portfolio of business banking clients in the downtown Los Angeles market. Mr. Okusanya began his banking career in 2004 as a Business Banker with Citibank. Prior to starting his banking career, Mr. Okusanya practiced commercial law with a focus on mergers and acquisitions with the law firm of Ajumogobia & Okeke, in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr. Okusanya holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Ibadan, in Nigeria, and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Southern California. Mr Okusanya serves as Board Member and Treasurer of the Council for Watershed Health, Los Angeles, a non-profit dedicated to advancing the health and sustainability of our region's watersheds, rivers, streams, and habitat, both in natural areas and urban neighborhoods.

Connect with Opus Bank

OpusBank.com │ LinkedIn │ Twitter │ YouTube │ Facebook

About Opus Bank

Opus Bank is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with $7.3 billion of total assets, $5.2 billion of total loans, and $6.0 billion in total deposits as of March 31, 2018. Opus Bank provides superior ideas and solutions, and banking products to its clients through its Retail Bank, Commercial Bank, and Merchant Bank. Opus Bank offers a suite of treasury and cash management and depository solutions and a wide range of loan products, including commercial, healthcare, media and entertainment, corporate finance, multifamily residential, commercial real estate and structured finance, and is an SBA preferred lender. Opus Bank offers commercial escrow services and facilitates 1031 Exchange transactions through its Escrow and Exchange divisions. Opus Bank provides clients with financial and advisory services related to raising equity capital, targeted acquisition and divestiture strategies, general mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, balance sheet restructuring, valuation, strategy and performance improvement through its Merchant Banking division and its broker-dealer subsidiary, Opus Financial Partners, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Opus Bank’s alternative asset IRA custodian subsidiary has over $16 billion of custodial assets and over 50,000 client accounts, which are comprised of self-directed investors, financial institutions, capital raisers and financial advisors. Opus Bank operates 50 banking offices, including 31 in California, 16 in the Seattle/Puget Sound region in Washington, two in the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona and one in Portland, Oregon. Opus Bank is an Equal Housing Lender. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: www.opusbank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include forward-looking statements related to Opus’ plans, beliefs and goals, which involve certain risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events, and actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “intend” or “expect” or variations thereon or similar terminology. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and Opus undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.