Sonja Smith has joined American Riviera Bank as the new Vice President/Human Resources Director.
Sonja brings over 15 years of skills and experience in human resources and recruitment to the Bank. She is an expert in offering guidance and leadership. She will focus on projects, training and development; recruiting; compensation; performance management; and employee engagement.
Her role at American Riviera Bank is critical as the Bank hires and replaces from within, recruits from the outside, and grows locations.
“I am so excited about working with everyone at American Riviera Bank,” she said. “They are all incredibly collaborative and hardworking and their community spirit is amazing. I feel extremely privileged to be here and have been welcomed into a great company. I am really looking forward to being part of the team and sharing my expertise.”
Prior to joining American Riviera Bank, Sonja most recently managed a local company’s HR team and was a business partner to the senior executive team.
Before moving to Santa Barbara with her husband in 2013, Sonja resided in the United Kingdom where she worked in employee relations, talent acquisition and management; leading all HR initiatives and implementing systems; and managing processes and procedures in various industries including technology, recruitment, telecommunications and professional.
She also owned her own Virtual Assistance business, providing clients with administrative, HR and marketing support.
Sonja earned her degree in Human Resources Management at Coventry University in the United Kingdom. She is serving this year as the Professional Development Co-Chair for the Santa Barbara Human Resources Association.
American Riviera Bank is a full-service community bank focused on serving the lending and deposit needs of businesses and consumers on the Central Coast. The state-chartered bank opened for business on July 18, 2006 with the support of local shareholders. Branches in Santa Barbara County are located at 1033 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, 525 San Ysidro Road in Montecito, and 5880 Calle Real in Goleta.
American Riviera Bank’s new branch in Paso Robles is located at 1601 Spring St. and is the Bank’s first full-service branch in San Luis Obispo County.