Union Bank has promoted two executives to key positions here and across Southern California and hired a banking veteran to lead its business in the West.
Scott Connella, formerly Union Bank’s market president for Orange County, takes on the new position of executive vice president of Southern California commercial banking.
Lawrence Henry takes over Connella’s old post as market president for OC and the Inland Empire.
In another move, Todd Hollander was hired from Citizens Business Bank, where he led sales from its Ontario headquarters.
Hollander leads the business banking unit, which has offices in California, Oregon and Washington and Texas.
The changes come as the San Francisco-based bank seeks to draw more OC business, increase market share across the country and forge ties with companies looking to expand in Asia.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., the largest banking company in Japan, is Union Bank’s parent.
Union Bank also wants to build business with Asian companies seeking to expand here.
The bank’s Asian ties have “really differentiated us from some of the larger banks,” said Connella, who started his position last month.
Connella said he has been meeting with existing and potential clients and working on industry specializations for the bank in food and beverages, medical products, architecture and engineering, among others.
Henry’s main responsibilities are employee development and customer service.
“My first priority is to ensure that our bankers are able to identify financial needs and deliver solutions,” said Henry, a 16-year veteran who joined Union Bank last year, most recently serving as senior vice president and region manager in OC and the Inland Empire, where he oversaw 14 branches.
Henry, who’s based in Orange, reports to Los Angeles and Inland Empire Regional Executive Leticia Aguilar.
Prior to joining Union Bank, Henry was national sales manager at Countrywide Bank, the banking arm of mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp., now part of Bank of America Corp.
He also served as Southern California district manager for the banking arm of Wells Fargo & Co.
Hollander returns to OC after a two-year stint at Citizens Business Bank, where he supervised 10 department managers who oversaw more than 350 employees.
The longtime Newport Beach resident has big ambitions for Union Bank.
“Our goal is to become one of the top 10 banks in the country,” said Hollander, who took over the business banking division earlier this month.
Union Bank now ranks No. 26 among U.S. banks, according to Federal Reserve data.
Cracking the top 10 won’t be easy, Hollander said, given the economic challenges and less borrowing by businesses.
“A lot of business owners are still pulling in their horns,” he said. “We’re not seeing the demand for credit yet.”
