FirstBank Announces New Chief Risk Officer and Several Other Leadership Promotions

Bank appoints Jennifer Payne as Chief Risk Officer and promotes several others across retail, credit, security and IT departments

LAKEWOOD, Colo., June 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” has elevated several leaders, including its new Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Jennifer Payne.

Payne has been with the bank for 23 years, and has worked in various leadership roles across the company, including President of Compliance and, most recently, President of Loan Servicing before she was appointed CRO. She was also named Banking Exchange’s Top 20 Under 40 for her contributions to FirstBank's growth. As CRO, Payne will oversee FirstBank’s compliance, security, loan review, risk management, legal, and anti-money laundering departments.

"Jennifer's ascent to CRO is a testament to her dedication and experience. As the former President of Compliance, Jennifer saw risk management and compliance as a way to not only benefit the company, but also safeguard our customers,” said Kevin Classen, CEO of FirstBank. “We’re confident that under Jennifer's guidance, FirstBank will continue to thrive and carry on its mission."

The bank also announced the below executive promotions across its credit, retail, security and IT departments.

• Ryan Blake was promoted to President of Loan Servicing and will backfill the role previously held by FirstBank’s current CRO Jenn Payne. Blake has been with the bank for 14 years and most recently served as an Executive Vice President in Commercial Credit.

• Aubrey Ebbs was named Cherry Creek Market President. Ebbs has been with the bank for 18 years and most recently served as an Executive Vice President in the East Market, where she managed complex commercial real estate projects.

• Adam Ingersoll was promoted to Executive Vice President in the North Metropolitan area. Ingersoll has over 12 years of experience at FirstBank and expertise in operations, commercial real estate, business acquisition, equipment and fleet financing.
  

In addition, the following individuals were promoted from Senior Directors to Managing Directors in security and IT:

• Brenden Smith, who also holds the position of Chief Information Security Officer at FirstBank, has been responsible for executing FirstBank’s cybersecurity strategy for over a decade.

• Kate Liosis has over 16 years of management experience. She will continue to play a key role in leading and developing FirstBank’s high-performing technology teams.

• Brian Dennehy has been with the bank for 26 years and is dedicated to driving and implementing key technology initiatives.

• Ryan Buerger has over 23 years of IT experience and is focused on cloud adoption and providing secure and consistent customer experience.

"These leaders have all made tremendous contributions to FirstBank over their careers," said Classen. "Their promotions represent FirstBank's ongoing commitment to improving digital banking innovations, accessibility and security for customers and businesses alike.”

About FirstBank

FirstBank began providing banking services in 1963. Today, it’s known as an industry leader in digital banking. It has grown to be one of the top performing and largest privately held banks in the United States, maintaining over 100 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona, and California. FirstBank offers a variety of consumer deposit accounts, home equity loans, mortgages, rental property loans, and a full range of commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate loans, treasury management, and more. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing more than $90 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving employees a financial stake in the bank’s success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. For more information, visit www.efirstbank.com. Member FDIC.

Media Contact:
Chandra Brin
303.235.1402
Chandra.Brin@efirstbank.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c1148dee-029f-4f3c-a712-bd781f16dfc1