Wells Fargo Elevates Two Veteran Commercial Bankers in Oregon

Wells Fargo Commercial Banking, No. 1 in new lead banking relationships with middle-market companies, expanded its management team in Oregon by promoting two seasoned finance executives. Karen Vineyard will lead the Portland Regional Commercial Banking Office (RCBO), and Sally Williams will lead the Greater Oregon RCBO, located in Eugene, Ore. Williams succeeds Michael McEntee, a longtime Wells Fargo Commercial Banking leader in Eugene, who retired Sept. 1.

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Sally Williams (Photo: Business Wire)

Vineyard and Williams, both senior vice presidents, oversee middle-market commercial bank clients with annual revenues greater than $20 million. These companies represent a broad spectrum of industries, including manufacturing, wholesale, retail, distribution, construction, cleantech and services. Wells Fargo has more than 70 local bankers dedicated to middle-market companies in the region. The Oregon territory includes five RCBOs, plus southwest Washington and eastern Idaho. Vineyard and Williams will focus on the strategic development of business relationships across the region.

Over the past few years, Wells Fargo Commercial Banking has grown rapidly across Oregon, with specialized operations in forest products, technology, and agriculture, among others.

Prior to her promotion, Vineyard, a 27-year company veteran, co-managed the Portland RCBO with Williams, where the duo led the company’s initiatives on multiple fronts. Vineyard also steered key Wells Fargo’s programs, including the creation of a women’s networking and a resource program for local business owners and executives. She graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics. Vineyard joined Wells Fargo in 1988 as a business development officer in Southern California and moved to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s.

Williams brings more than 36 years of financial services experience to her new role. A native of Oregon, Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Oregon. She joined Wells Fargo’s Commercial Banking group in 2012 as a regional manager in Portland and steadily progressed through the organization before being promoted to the Portland RCBO’s co-head position in 2013 when she bolstered Wells Fargo’s customer base in the forest products industry.

“Middle-market customers in Oregon are feeling more confident about the Oregon economy, and they’re looking for opportunities to invest in their operations, people, and communities,” said Ralph Hamm III, Commercial Banking president for Wells Fargo in Oregon and Eastern Washington. “That’s why we’re expanding our local resources in order to continue providing strong leadership to benefit our customers.”

About Wells Fargo Commercial Banking

With more than 140 offices in 38 states and three Canadian provinces, Wells Fargo Commercial Banking provides local service and decision-making for businesses with annual revenues of greater than $20 million. Asset-based lending, traditional secured loans, and capital markets provide access to working capital for day-to-day operations and growth. Expertise and services are available to specialty industries, including life sciences, technology, food and agribusiness, healthcare, government, higher education, clean technology, and environmental services. Wells Fargo has the highest market share of middle-market company relationships in the U.S., according to the 2013 TNS Commercial Banking Momentum Monitor. Winner of the 2015 TNS Choice Awards, Wells Fargo is the No. 1 preferred bank by companies in the U.S. with annual sales of $50 million to $2 billion.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.7 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, more than 12,500 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 266,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.

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