Senior Technology Banker Joins SVB Financial Group UK

LONDON and BOSTON, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of SVB Financial Group's continued commitment and expansion in Europe, it has transferred senior technology banker Oscar Jazdowski to join its UK-based team beginning immediately.  SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB), parent company of Silicon Valley Bank and financial services partner to technology, life science and venture capitalists worldwide, has been in London since 2004.

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Through SVB Financial Group UK, the company provides its clients in the region the benefit of nearly 30 years of experience dedicated to helping entrepreneurial companies of all sizes succeed.  Over the past six years, SVB Financial Group UK  and Silicon Valley Bank have become an important partner to many of the UK's fast-growth technology and life science companies in need of sources of diverse debt capital such as venture debt, acquisition financing, working capital, capital call lines, growth capital and capex financing. In addition, the UK team offers access to foreign exchanges services, trade finance and U.S. banking for subsidiaries.

"We continue to build our capabilities in all the global markets we serve, with a goal of offering technology and life science entrepreneurs and established companies around the world the same services we offer our clients in the US," said Ken Wilcox, President and CEO of SVB Financial Group.

Andy Tsao, Senior Vice President at SVB Financial Group UK, has been leading SVB's UK operations since he helped open the office in 2004 and he will return to the US in July 2010 to take on a new role working with global venture capital firms.  

"Technology companies around the world look to Silicon Valley Bank for its industry knowledge, financial acumen and dedication to this high-growth, dynamic business sector," said Phil Cox,  Head of Europe and Israel at SVB Financial Group. "We owe a debt of gratitude to Andy for building a robust business in the UK, giving us a solid foundation. Oscar's extensive experience will offer a smooth transition for our clients and to those prospects we hope to work with in the future."

Oscar Jazdowski has spent more than 25 years financing technology companies at all stages of development, from young, venture-backed start-ups to large multinational companies.  Jazdowski joined Silicon Valley Bank in 2002 as a senior relationship manager focused on the Boston region. Having started his career with Bank of Boston in the UK, Jazdowski was transferred to the head office in 1983 to join the High Technology Lending Group, and subsequently ran its Silicon Valley office in Palo Alto, Calif.  Following his service to Bank of Boston, Jazdowski helped start the East Coast Technology Groups of both Imperial Bank (now Comerica) and Sand Hill Capital, providing debt financing and other financial services to young, emerging, venture-backed companies.

Mark Gallagher of Silicon Valley Bank in Boston will take on Jazdowski's former role as a senior sales and business development professional in the Northeast US, working primarily on developing new relationships with growth stage technology companies in the region.

About SVB Financial Group

For nearly 30 years, SVB Financial Group and its subsidiaries, including Silicon Valley Bank, have been dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed. SVB Financial Group is a financial holding company that serves companies in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industries. Offering diversified financial services through Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services, SVB Financial Group provides clients with commercial, investment, international and private banking services. The company also offers funds management, broker-dealer transactions and asset management, as well as the added value of its knowledge and networks worldwide. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB) operates through 26 offices in the U.S. and international operations in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.

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Banking services are provided by Silicon Valley Bank, a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve System. SVB Private Client Services is a division of Silicon Valley Bank. SVB Financial Group is also a member of the Federal Reserve System.

This material has been issued by and approved by SVB Financial Group UK Ltd. as defined in Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. SVB Financial Group UK Ltd. is registered in England and Wales at 34 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NG, U.K. under No. 5572575 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority ("FSA"). The services which are the subject of this material are not available to retail clients as defined by the FSA. The material is for information purposes only and should not be considered as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any of the investments mentioned within, or to make any investment decision.

SOURCE SVB Financial Group