RankingBanking 24 Digital (1) - Flipbook - Page 10
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with service and creating a strong reputation.”
new running team that has about 30 employees
An in-house mantra, “speed to serve and cer-
training together for half marathons. “We hire a
tainty of execution,” comes with a commitment to
lot of college athletes, people who are really driven
respond to queries from customers and coworkers
and focused,” Wetton says.
within 24 hours. “There’s no 1-800 number, no
DJ Kurtze, a former Signature banker who
‘what’s your social and mother’s maiden name,’”
signed on last year as Five Star’s San Francisco
says Shelley Wetton, Five Star’s chief marketing
Bay Area president, says the company “feels like
officer. “It’s concierge banking — high tech, high
a startup but it’s not, because the bank is well-es-
touch. The client has the phone number of some-
tablished and has all these processes in place.”
one who knows them.”
The board sets part of that tone and isn’t afraid
to get its hands dirty. The 11-member group includes accountants, former bankers, CRE industry
players and executives from other industries, and
is actively on the hunt for growth opportunities.
For example, Vice Chairperson Randall Reynoso,
“The biggest concern I hear from investors
is ‘How does this play out over time in
terms of CRE concentrations?‘ …
There’s a lot of angst about CRE.”
a retired executive vice president for Wells Fargo
& Co.’s Bay Area business bank, introduced Beckwith to Kurtze several years before Signature’s
collapse and helped recruit him.
“As a board, we look at the Bay Area as an external growth strategy,” Perry-Smith says. “It’s an
opportunity to go out and build a large team without buying a bank and all that entails.”
Andrew Terrell / Stephens
Face of the Franchise
Five Star is a group effort, but Beckwith, who
favors golf over running, is the chief cultural orchestrator and the face of the franchise. He’s on
That responsiveness has paid dividends. For ex-
the go constantly, meeting with and supporting
ample, Five Star originated $175 million in PPP
BDOs trying to land new business or meeting with
loans during the pandemic, 40% to small business-
community groups, and spends many of those golf
es that weren’t customers before. “The big banks
outings with prospective clients or mentoring new-
didn’t answer the phone and we did,” Luck says.
er employees. He’s happiest, Wetton says, when his
People make the model work, and a large
calendar is full.
amount of effort goes into hiring and development.
Beckwith has a reputation for both backslapping
Five Star’s culture is high-octane and provides
and knowing his numbers. “James is intellectual.
high-producing BDOs with uncapped earnings po-
He’s very entrepreneurial and risk-averse, and he’s
tential. “Our business development folks eat what
very committed to his team,” Perry-Smith says.
they kill,” Beckwith explains. “My job is to make
sure they’re successful.”
An accountant by training and CEO since 2003,
Beckwith is an alum of Vistage, a CEO training
It’s a work-hard, play-hard place with connec-
and advisory program (he had to quit when Five
tions and structure. There are book clubs and a
Star went public). He’s also an avid reader. Among
