Stuart Bernstein

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT STUART BERNSTEIN

I am a senior executive in diversified financial services. Currently the Chief Banking Officer at First Foundation Bank leading retail, business, and private banking. Also responsible for our digital bank, marketing, and product. Prior to this I was with Santander Bank where I led the branch network, residential lending, investment production, and private client services. In this role, I was accountable for all aspects of a 500 branch retail network spanning eight states in the Northeast and Florida. I am currently located in San Diego and working in Irvine. Throughout my career I have managed consumer and business banking, wealth management (Private Banking and Investments), residential lending, and digital banking. My colleagues recognize me as someone who excels at creating and delivering rapid growth, new business strategies, and increasing revenue while ensuring an enhanced client experience. Forward thinking with an eye on the future of financial services and the necessary strategies to prepare for these changes is something that I excel at. My experiences managing multiple retail business lines with strong production, revenue, operations, and client experiences positions me well as a leader in financial services. I am known for recognizing, attracting, and developing talent across the US. Related Expertise: Financial Acumen - Developed full suite of reports and incentive plans aligned with objectives. P&L responsibilities with understanding of key levers to drive revenue and bottom-line performance. Strategy - Created new strategies that align with overall mission. Collaborate across marketing, operations, compliance, and production to ensure a client centric approach. Sales Management - Developed organizational structures and key processes that are measurable and lead to the right outcomes. Create a coaching based culture that develops teams that are community focused and retain talent and ultimately clients. People Leadership - Situational leader known for building top performing teams across sales, service, amd operations. Strong network across the US.