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Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026

Sunwest Hires Well Fargo’s ex-OC Chief

Sunwest Bank has hired Ben Alvarado, Wells Fargo & Co.’s former chief for Orange County and San Diego.

Alvarado will be an executive vice president in charge of retail and business banking, Irvine-based Sunwest said in a statement.

Alvarado, a 26-year banking veteran, began his career at Wells Fargo, where he most recently oversaw a network of 230 branches in Orange County and San Diego.

He was one of about 70 executives who left Wells Fargo a year ago when the bank decided to reorganize its retail banking unit. In 2016, the bank reached a $190 million settlement to resolve allegations it engaged in years of improper sales practices that resulted in the opening of 3.5 million accounts without customers’ knowledge.

Sunwest in February promoted Carson Lappetito to president from his previous position of chief operating officer.

Wells Fargo is the biggest commercial bank operating in Orange County, with $22.9 billion in deposits as of June 30, according to the most recent Business Journal list. Sunwest ranked No. 28 with $583 million in deposits.

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Peter J. Brennan
Peter J. Brennan
With four decades of experience in journalism, Peter J. Brennan has built a career that spans diverse news topics and global coverage. From reporting on wars, narcotics trafficking, and natural disasters to analyzing business and financial markets, Peter’s work reflects a commitment to impactful storytelling. Peter’s association with the Orange County Business Journal began in 1997, where he worked until 2000 before moving to Bloomberg News. During his 15 years at Bloomberg, his reporting often influenced financial markets, with headlines and articles moving the market caps of major companies by hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2017, Peter returned to the Orange County Business Journal as Financial Editor, bringing his heavy business industry expertise. Over the years, he advanced to Executive Editor and, in 2024, was named Editor-in-Chief. Peter’s work has been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has appeared on CNN, CBC, BBC, and Bloomberg TV. A Kiplinger Fellowship recipient at The Ohio State University, he leads the Business Journal with a dedication to uncovering stories that matter and shaping the local business community and beyond.

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