Laurel Sykes has joined American Riviera Bank as executive vice president/chief compliance/risk officer. As the bank continues its growth in the Central Coast region, she will bring her experience in the areas of compliance and risk management to the team at American Riviera Bank.
Sykes will be responsible for the bank’s enterprise risk management and regulatory affairs, and will lead its consumer compliance function and the anti-money laundering/financial crimes unit.
“When it came to filling such a critical role within our bank, we knew only the best candidate would do,” said American Riviera Bank CEO Jeff DeVine.
“Being local, we have known Laurel for some time. Her experience, knowledge and enthusiasm are exactly what we need to continue the steady and successful growth of American Riviera Bank,” he said. “With Laurel on our team, we continue to deliver our promise of better banking for our community.”
A fourth generation native to Solvang, Sykes worked for nearly 10 years at Montecito Bank & Trust as SVP and chief risk officer. There, she was responsible for risk management, compliance, regulatory affairs, information privacy, fraud mitigation, and the financial literacy and elder abuse prevention programs.
Prior to Montecito Bank & Trust, Sykes worked for Wells Fargo while studying business economics at UCSB. She joined Santa Barbara Bank & Trust in 1995, where she held several key positions before rising to the position of director of regulatory affairs for its parent company Pacific Capital Bancorp.
“I’m thrilled to be joining American Riviera Bank, who has always maintained a strong reputation for combining full-service banking solutions and the personal touch of a community bank with local decisions by the bank’s board and management team,” Sykes said.
“I’m also excited to be a part of our long-term, relationship-based growth strategy on the Central Coast, and to work with the team to ensure our continued safe and sound operation,” she said.
Sykes is passionate about financial literacy and preventing elder abuse, having volunteered and spoken on these topics locally and nationally.
She is also active in the local nonprofit community, serving on the board of the Goleta Valley Softball Association, and leveraging her experience in affordable housing and community development projects to offer support to local housing authorities and housing trust funds.
She was honored as one of three finalists for the Western Bankers Association Banker of the Year award in 2017.
For more information about American Riviera Bank, visit www.AmericanRivieraBank.com.
— Joyce Valentino for American Riviera Bank.