Bank of the West Grows Regional Agribusiness Offices with Industry Bankers

OMAHA, Neb., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West today announced the promotions of four relationship managers in its Omaha and Wichita-based ag offices and the addition of a new ag banker in its Des Moines office.  

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• In Omaha, Trevor Svoboda and Brock Thorberg have been promoted to vice president and Jami Marshall to assistant vice president;
• In Des Moines, Andy Bentley joins the bank as a vice president;
• In Wichita, Wyatt Rundel has been promoted to assistant vice president.

In their role as relationship managers and ag industry bankers, they are responsible for new business development and client banking in agricultural production and agribusiness sectors. Their areas of focus include cattle feeding, commercial cattle feedlot, swine operations, poultry (broilers and egg production) and dairies, as well as grain elevators, fertilizer dealers, feed manufacturing and packing operations.

They are part of the Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group that services clients in 10 Midwestern and High Plains states through offices located in Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita and Minneapolis. 

"As the nation's second largest bank lender to production agriculture, Bank of the West values deep, long-term relationships with producers and suppliers to the ag industry," said Stephen Hatz, senior vice president and Agribusiness area manager. "The Central Plains Agribusiness Group is committed to customers in the industry and the region and we're pleased to offer an ag team of skilled managers who provide the consistent and thoughtful approach to ag lending that our clients depend on through seasonal and cyclical changes in their business."

The Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group began with five relationship managers in 2006 and since then has grown to 12 team members.

• Trevor Svoboda first joined Bank of the West in 2006 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. He holds a degree in economics from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
• Brock Thorberg joined Bank of the West in 2007 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. Among his numerous professional affiliations, he is a member of the Nebraska Cattlemen, United Egg Producers, Nebraska Bankers Association Advisory Committee (2009 – 2012) and the American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference Planning Committee. Thorberg holds a degree in agricultural sciences from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Jami Marshall has been in the financial services industry for 11 years, with eight of those years concentrated in agricultural banking. She joined Bank of the West in 2005. Marshall holds a degree in marketing management from Bellevue University.
• Wyatt Rundel has been in agricultural operations for almost 10 years, and transitioned to ag banking in 2010. He joined Bank of the West in 2011. Rundel holds a degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University.
• Andy Bentley has been in banking services since 2002. He rejoins Bank of the West from Market 1, Inc. Bentley holds a degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University.

Bank of the West was ranked as the second largest bank lender to U.S. agriculture, according to an American Bankers Association online ranking of the Top 100 Farm Lenders.  The bank began lending to farmers in 1874 and, today, its Agribusiness Division assists customers throughout the United States with offices strategically located in Western and Midwestern agricultural centers including Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita, Ft. Collins, Minneapolis, Dallas, Sacramento, Napa, Modesto, Fresno and Temecula.

About Bank of the West
Founded in 1874, $62.7 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com), member FDIC and equal housing lender, offers a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services. The bank operates more than 700 retail and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 80 countries with nearly 200,000 employees.

SOURCE Bank of the West