McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Mark Southon as Vice President, Fraud at Patelco Credit Union. In this role, Mark will lead Patelco’s enterprise-wide fraud strategy with a proactive, technology-forward approach that evolves with member behavior and industry threats. As a highly visible decision-maker, he will drive innovation, streamline fraud operations, and safeguard member trust during a pivotal period of growth and transformation.
Mark brings over 24 years of diverse leadership experience within the financial services and insurance industries, including fraud, risk, audit, and finance. Most recently, he served as Head of Global Fraud Investigations and Transaction Monitoring at Blackhawk Network, leading all transaction monitoring, investigations, data science, and dispute management for the global branded payments provider. He previously held senior leadership roles in enterprise risk and financial operations at PMI Mortgage Insurance and CSAA Insurance Group, and built a solid foundation in risk consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mark received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah and his Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s College of California.
Based in Dublin, California, Patelco Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union committed to serving the financial health and well-being of its membership. With nearly 500,000 members, primarily in and around Northern California, Patelco is committed to improving its members’ financial well-being and fueling hope and opportunity by offering personalized solutions, advice, and expertise that empower them to live their best financial lives. Founded in 1936 with $500 in assets by employees of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Patelco is in the top one percent of U.S. credit unions with more than $9 billion in assets.
This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull President Brandon Biegenzahn, Partner Courtney Dorrel, Director Rachel Loye, and Executive Recruiter Adrian Rufo.