FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks, recently announced several leadership changes. The new appointments result from FirstBank executives either retiring or being elevated to C-level positions.

Former Chief Credit Officer (CCO) Brian Ballard retired after more than 30 years with the company. He started his career with FirstBank in 1992, and held several leadership positions, including West Market President, before being appointed CCO in 2020.

“Brian was a tremendous contributor and brought immense value to our organization,” said Jim Reuter, CEO of FirstBank. “He led us through the pandemic and PPP, which helped over 15,000 businesses, and enabled FirstBank to be the state’s largest originator of economic relief loans. Brian also oversaw the largest years in loan production in our organization’s history.”

John Markovich, former President of Commercial Lending, is taking over as CCO. He started his FirstBank career in 2006, and previously oversaw the company’s mortgage and commercial real estate departments. In addition, FirstBank also announced the following Presidents:

• Tony Giarratano, who served as Executive Vice President in the Southwest Market, will take over as President of Commercial Lending. Giarratano started his FirstBank career in 2007.
• Additionally, Patrick Riley, previously the Executive Vice President of the Northwest Market, was named the West Market President. Riley has been with FirstBank since 2006.

"Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we aim to create an environment where they can have fulfilling careers,” added Reuter. “We’ve been steadfast about promoting within and harnessing internal talent, and I think that’s why FirstBank has been a strong performing company over the decades. John, Tony, and Patrick have the knowledge, foresight and expertise to carry out the bank’s strategic vision. We look forward to watching them thrive in their new and well-deserved positions.”

Over the last 60 years, FirstBank has prioritized doing what’s right for customers, communities and employees, including cultivating an award-winning workplace.