MID-SIZE BANKS, RANKED BY ARIZONA DEPOSITS
LEGAL & FINANCE
Top 10 AMTRUST BANK 6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-970-6500 // amtrust. com AZ DEPOSITS $1 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 92 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Doreen Rast, senior vice president and regional executive BANK OF THE WEST 7272 E. Indian School Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85251 // 800-488-2265 // bankofthewest.com AZ DEPOSITS $964 million AZ EMPLOYEES 134 PRINCIPAL Kevin Gillette, director, commercial banking sales manager, team leader HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Nicole Strom, vice president, business banking officer; Marianne Berlan, vice president, CBG division marketing officer NORTHERN TRUST 2160 E. Elliot Road, Tempe, 85284 // 480-887-9222 // notherntrust.com AZ DEPOSITS $797 million AZ EMPLOYEES 400 PRINCIPAL Tony Bolazina, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Higdon, director, Arizona operating center BANK OF ARIZONA 16767 N. Perimeter Drive, Suite 200, Scottsdale, 85260 // 602-808-5357 // bankofarizona.com AZ DEPOSITS $664 million AZ EMPLOYEES 112 PRINCIPAL Vickie Larsen, senior vice president, market executive HIGHESTRANKING WOMEN Jennifer Pescatore, senior vice president, manager, commercial real estate banking; Stacy Sanner, senior vice president, manager, treasury sales UMB 2700 N. Central Ave., Suite 110, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-274-7500 // umb.com AZ DEPOSITS $654 million AZ EMPLOYEES 83 PRINCIPAL Larry J. West, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deborah Wahl, senior vice president, human resources director ARIZONA BUSINESS BANK 2600 N. Central Ave., Suite 2000, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-240-2700 // cobizfinancial.com AZ DEPOSITS $600 million AZ EMPLOYEES 110 PRINCIPAL Toby Day, market president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Valorie Simpson, regional president MUTUAL OF OMAHA BANK 9200 E. Pima Center Parkway, Suite 260, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-4582000 // mutualofomahabank.com AZ DEPOSITS $565 million AZ EMPLOYEES 339 PRINCIPAL Kevin Halloran, state president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Grace Duval, senior vice president COMERICA BANK - ARIZONA 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 150, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-333-7443 // comerica.com AZ DEPOSITS $461 million AZ EMPLOYEES 139 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Annette Musa, Arizona market president THE BILTMORE BANK OF ARIZONA 5055 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 85018 // 602-992-5055 // biltmorebankaz.com AZ DEPOSITS $450 million AZ EMPLOYEES 27 PRINCIPAL Rich Endicott, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Desirae Outcalt, vice president and client relations officer; Leticia Scearce, vice president and government guaranteed lending manager ARIZONA BANK & TRUST 2036 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-2090 // arizbank.com AZ DEPOSITS $406 million AZ EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL Paul F. Muscenti, Chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Tengler, senior vice president, wealth advisory services market manager
HELPS WOMEN IN FINANCE When Annette Musa was working in the brokerage industry in the early 1990s, there were very few Hispanic women colleagues, let alone mentors. But Musa, Arizona market president for Comerica Bank, didn’t have to search far to find a strong Latina who proved bucking the system could lead to success. The youngest of seven children born into a blue-collar family in Omaha, Neb., Musa recalls her oldest sister Olivia earned a teaching degree because education and nursing were the only professional options for women at the time. But instead of settling, Olivia went on to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. “She would say, ‘Always make sure to carry yourself with dignity,” Musa says. “She knew there were barriers to overcome.” Musa followed her sister’s lead as she rose through the white, male-dominated brokerage environment, earning a business administration degree from the University of Phoenix. “When you don’t look like everybody else, when you don’t have the same background as everyone else, it’s more challenging,” Musa says. “You can combat that over time, but you must remember to present yourself in a respectable manner. You had to work a little harder to make sure people knew you were knowledgeable and capable.” Much has changed over the years, with the finance realm becoming more diverse at the higher ranks.
Musa credits Comerica with recognizing the need to support women’s pursuit of these positions. “At Comerica, you look at the leaders and so many are strong women,” says Musa, who joined Comerica in 2006, and has held her current position since 2013. “Our firm looks to recruit women specifically and from different cultures. They understand that if the leadership looks like the community, we can better serve the community.” Banks started to provide investment services about 20 years ago, not long after Musa moved to Phoenix. She was thriving in the brokerage field, but when she was approached to apply her skills to the banking arena, Musa made the move. Outside of work, Musa is involved with community and nonprofit organizations, including the Arizona Bankers Association and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. She has two sons with her husband of 26 years, who has a law enforcement background. “Being married to a wonderful man and being able to enjoy your children can help you become successful if you have that kind of stability and support,” Musa says. She treasures being in the position to give generations of women leaders the mentor and inspiration that was rare when she was getting her start. “Someone like me did it and I enjoy it,” she says. “I hope that does encourage [women] in the world of finance.”
ANNETTE MUSA ARIZONA MARKET PRESIDENT BY GEORGANN YARA
2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 51
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