LEGACY: Steve Gardner, a hockey-loving MBA dropout, in 2000 took over a failing Riverside-based bank and moved it to Irvine where he renamed it. He grew both organically and through acquisitions like rival Opus Bank and avoided disasters such as the subprime mortgage meltdown of 2007-08. One of the best-performing stocks among OC companies during the 2010s.
OC SIGNIFICANCE: Grew bank into the largest with headquarters in Orange County, at one point reporting $20B+ in assets.
DEFINING MOMENT: 2025 acquisition by Columbia Banking System for $2.4B.
QUOTABLE: “When I came in (in 2000), we were lacking capital, we were hemorrhaging substantial losses. There were substantial problem loans… I don’t know if there is any secret sauce. We do the basics really well.” — Steve Gardner
FUN FACT: Gardner is a father of quadruplets and has often played hockey with them.
