Purcell Promoted to Chief Strategy and Administration Officer

WALLA WALLA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Banner Bank board of directors announced today that Cynthia “Cindy” Purcell has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Administration Officer. Previously, she held the position of Executive Vice President, Retail Banking and Administration.

“This promotion formally recognizes the expanded role Cindy has taken on over the past 12 months, as well as the ongoing, significant contributions she has made for our clients and our Bank,” said Mark Grescovich, Banner Bank CEO. “Her strong leadership capabilities and broad experience bring a unique talent to this expanded role. Cindy’s strategic leadership, client-centric approach and deep banking expertise are key to our continued growth and long-term performance—especially as we strive to continually strengthen our client and community relationships.”

In her new role, Purcell will lead the execution of the Bank’s long-term corporate strategic objectives. For example, in partnership with Peter Conner, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Purcell will focus on the pursuit of consistent and favorable financial results with respect to sales and profitability, as well as mergers and acquisitions. These responsibilities are in addition to her existing leadership of Retail (consumer and small business), Digital Strategy and Channels, Residential Lending, Operations, Marketing & Communications, Government Relations, Facilities & Purchasing, and Community Reinvestment.

Purcell is a seasoned banking executive with 42 years of experience. Early in her career, she was Chief Financial Officer of a community bank that later merged into Banner Bank. Since joining Banner, she has held significant leadership roles with expanding responsibilities, including oversight of the Bank’s branch network, as well as most operations and administrative functions. Additionally, she has served in numerous state and national industry leadership positions and is a strong advocate of preserving the strength of the banking industry.

“Last year we embarked on a considerable exploration bank-wide to identify and implement innovative ways to continually enhance our overall client experience in our rapidly evolving industry, as well as create more efficient and scalable operations to support our successful relationship-model of banking,” Purcell said. “I’m proud of the engagement of our teams and the progress we have made. I am honored to formally take this broader role in leading our teams’ strategy development, and more importantly, the achievement of our long-term strategic objectives.”

About Banner Bank

Banner Bank is a Washington-chartered commercial bank that conducts business in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho. Banner offers a wide variety of commercial banking services and financial products to individuals, families, and small and medium-sized businesses. Banner Bank is part of Banner Corporation, a $16.6 billion bank holding company headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington. Visit Banner Bank at www.bannerbank.com.