Entrepreneurial Banker
Passionate About His Work
by Cecil Scaglione

Financial consultant, trusted advisor, partner, friend. These phrases are what clients say about their banker, Chris Walsh, executive vice president and chief banking officer at Vineyard Bank.

"People tell me I think outside the box, for a banker" said the 48-year-old banker who works with high net worth and business clients to find ways to develop, manufacture, distribute, and assist them with their financing needs.

He's been coming up with creative ways to turn dreams into dollars since graduating from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1980 with a degree in economics.

"I'm passionate about what I do," he explains when he talks about his responsibilities of overseeing and expanding Vineyard's focus in such wide-ranging financial fields as new markets and specialty-business lending since he joined the bank late last year.

The bank was established in 1981 by a group of Inland Empire entrepreneurs dedicated to working with people like themselves who understand the extent of risk that is part of any venture and the need for flexible solutions that encourage enterprise and innovation.

Vineyard operates in 20 unique markets that stretch from Marin County in Northern California to San Diego in Southern California with over $2.4 billion in assests. During Walsh's 27-year banking career, which began right out of college with Security Pacific National Bank, he has been president of Sunwest Bank in Tustin and executive vice president of Commercial Capital Bank.

During this period, he's also managed to be named distinguished volunteer of the year at Saddleback YMCA in 1995, as well as receiving the "Vision" award at Mission Hospital in 1998, while, among other things, in the early 1990s leading the YMCA's fund-raising team for eight straight years, and chairing several successive hospital golf tournaments.

"I give back to the community with my volunteer work because this area has given me and my family such a wonderful life. We moved here in 1970 and I was on the first Laguna Niguel all-star team and was a part of the first four years graduating class from Dana Hills in 1976. This area has changed dramatically since then and my family and I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits this community has given us and above all, the friends and families we have met over this time."

When he's not doing any of the above, he heads down to the beach for "bonfires, sunsets and just watching the ocean waves crash. The water takes all the stress out of mind," said the passionate banker who enjoys talking and assisting entrepreneurs making their dreams come true.

Chris Walsh
Vineyard Bank
www.vineyardbank.com
949-271-5186