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Click on a person's name to view his or her biography.
Senior Management
Walter T. Kaczmarek Chief Executive Officer
Walter T. Kaczmarek was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce and Heritage Commerce Corp in March 2005. Previously, he was with Comerica for 15 years and was an Executive Vice President with responsibilities for middle market banking and private banking in the western region. He joined Comerica with the merger of San Jose based Plaza Bank of Commerce where he was instrumental in helping successfully merge the two organizations. Prior to joining Plaza Bank, Kaczmarek served for six years with The Martin Group, a real estate investment-development company, and nearly eight years with Union Bank.
Keith A. Wilton President and Chief Operating Officer
Keith brings over 35 years of financial services experience to Heritage Bank of Commerce. He was formerly from Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, now UnionBanCal Corporation, where he served as Executive Vice President. Prior to that, he was Corporate Executive Vice President of the Specialty Finance Group of Greater Bay Bancorp, prior to its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2007. Wilton graduated from the Stanford Executive Program in 2006, received a Masters Certificate in Internet Marketing from the University of San Francisco’s School of Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Land Economics and Finance from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.
Michael E. Benito Executive Vice President and Banking Division
Michael is known in the banking industry as an exceptional relationship banker as a result of his financial engineering skills and knowledge of treasury management. He joined Heritage Bank in 2003 after serving as a managing director for Greater Bay Bank and prior to that as Regional Vice President of the Santa Clara Valley Region of Imperial Bancorp. He began his banking career of more than 25 years ago at Union Bank. Michael graduated with honors from California State University, Fresno, with a bachelor's degree. Michael also serves on several civic, not-for-profit charity boards in Santa Clara County along with the Board of Fellows of Santa Clara University and the Executive Advisory Board to the School of Business at San Jose State University.
Margo G. Butsch Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer
Margo moved into Credit Administration when she joined Heritage through the acquisition of Focus Business Bank in August 2015. She began banking in 1990 at Imperial Bank where she held various lending and credit administration positions followed by similar positions held at Greater Bay Bank, Heritage Bank and The Independent Bankers Bank. Margo graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics.
Robert P. Gionfriddo Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development
Mr. Gionfriddo has rejoined Heritage Bank of Commerce as EVP, Director of Business Development after serving as Focus Business Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Business Banking Officer since 2013. Mr. Gionfriddo was responsible for business development of the Bank’s commercial business throughout the greater Silicon Valley. Prior to that, he was the Silicon Valley Regional President for Community Bank of the Bay; Director, Executive Vice President and President of Specialty Markets for Bridge Bank; and he was Co-Founder, Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President of Heritage Bank of Commerce and Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Marketing for San Jose based Plaza Bank of Commerce.
Lawrence D. McGovern Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Lawrence D. McGovern has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Heritage Commerce Corp since July 1998. From August 1997 to June 1998, Mr. McGovern served as an independent financial analyst for several companies. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. McGovern served as Chief Financial Officer of Business & Professional Bank and from 1994 to 1995, as Chief Financial Officer of Capitol Bank.
Teresa Powell Executive Vice President HOA & Deposit Services
Ms. Powell joins Heritage Bank of Commerce’s executive management team as EVP HOA & Deposit Services. Ms. Powell is a highly experienced banker who has spent her entire career in the Santa Clara Valley. Teresa has deep banking knowledge which includes, operations, cash management, and deposit products. Most recently, Teresa was Executive Vice President Community Banking for Focus Business Bank where she was responsible for the creation and growth of their HOA and Nonprofit business lines. Prior to that, she served in senior and executive management positions at Greater Bay Bancorp, San Jose National Bank and Pacific Western Bank. Teresa is active in the community and serves on the board of West San Jose Kiwanis, Abode Services, Santa Clara Monterey Bay Council Boy Scouts of America.
Deborah K. Reuter Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary
Debbie Reuter is an accomplished banking professional with over 40 years of experience in
compliance and risk management. Ms. Reuter joined Heritage Bank of Commerce when it opened in
June, 1994. She was formerly with several independent community banks in the San Francisco Bay Area
including Cupertino National Bank. Ms. Reuter is a graduate of the ABA National Compliance School and a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager.
May K. Y. Wong Executive Vice President and Controller
May K. Y. Wong has over 30 years of banking experience in various finance and accounting roles. She has been the Controller for Heritage Commerce Corp since August 1998. She was the Controller for Business and Professional Bank for 2 years, a Business Unit Financial Controller for First Nationwide Financial Corporation (5 years of experience in various roles), and a Senior Financial Analyst for Bank of America (6 years of experience in various roles). She holds a MBA in Finance and a B.S. in Accounting.
Board of Directors
Jack W. Conner Chairman
Jack Conner is former Chairman and CEO of Comerica California. He was also founder and President of Plaza Bank of Commerce.
Frank G. Bisceglia
Frank G. Bisceglia is the Senior Vice President -- Investments, Senior Portfolio Manager, Portfolio Management Program at UBS Financial Services.
Steven L. Hallgrimson
As a member of the California State Bar and California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Mr. Hallgrimson has been practicing law in San Jose, California since 1969 in the areas of real estate, taxation and general business planning. He is currently affiliated with the law firm of Berliner Cohen located in San Jose, California. Mr. Hallgrimson has founded and served as a board member for several private business entities engaged in automobile lending, commercial real estate brokerage and telecommunications.
He has previously been an instructor at San Jose State University Business School and University of California, Santa Cruz teaching a variety of business, real estate and tax courses. Mr. Hallgrimson also served as a trustee and president of the Santa Clara County Law Library, and is a former board member of the San Jose Art Museum. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College and a Juris Doctor from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law.
Julianne M. Biagini-Komas
Ms. Biagini was the Chief Financial Officer of Quantumscape Corporation, San Jose, California, from 2011 to 2014. Previously, she was the Chief Financial Officer of Crossbow Technology during 2008 and the Chief Financial Officer of Endwave Corporation, a NASDAQlisted company, from 1994 to 2007. Ms. Biagini was founding shareholder of Focus Business Bank.
J. Philip DiNapoli
Mr. DiNapoli is an attorney and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of J. P. DiNapoli Companies, Inc., a real estate investment, development and property management organization based in San Jose, California. Mr. DiNapoli has been a director of SJW Corp, a utility company listed on the NYSE, since 1989 and served on the board of Comerica Incorporated, a NYSE listed bank holding company, from 1993 until 2006. He was also a founder and, from 1979 to 1993, served on the Board of Plaza Commerce Corp and Plaza Bank of Commerce.
Laura Roden
Walter T. Kaczmarek
Walter T. Kaczmarek was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce and Heritage Commerce Corp in March 2005. Previously, he was with Comerica for 15 years and was an Executive Vice President with responsibilities for middle market banking and private banking in the western region. He joined Comerica with the merger of San Jose based Plaza Bank of Commerce where he was instrumental in helping successfully merge the two organizations. Prior to joining Plaza Bank, Kaczmarek served for six years with The Martin Group, a real estate investment-development company, and nearly eight years with Union Bank.
Robert T. Moles
Robert Moles is Chairman of Intero Real Estate Services, Inc., an innovative, fast-growing full-service real estate firm established in 2002.
Ranson W. Webster
Ranson Webster is the company's largest shareholder and is one of the founders of Heritage Bank of Commerce.
