McDermott + Bull has successfully ran the executive search for an Executive Vice President, Enterprise Risk Officer at Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, with Thomas Bennett assuming the position. In this role, Thomas will provide critical input on F&M’s risk and compliance philosophy and strategic execution while leading the risk, compliance, and internal audit teams.
Thomas brings over 23 years of finance and risk operations experience within the financial services industry. He joins F&M Bank from Mechanics Bank, where he served as Senior Vice President, Director of Enterprise and Operational Risk. Prior, he served in enterprise risk management and FP&A leadership roles with Rabobank N.A. Thomas graduated with dual-bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental studies from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, which trades on the OTCQX under the symbol FMCB, is the parent company of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, also known as F&M Bank. Founded in 1916, F&M Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank, which proudly serves California through 32 convenient locations. F&M Bank is financially strong, with over $5.4 billion in assets, and is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s safest banks by national bank rating firms. The bank has maintained a 5-star rating from BauerFinancial for 31 consecutive years, longer than any other commercial bank in the State of California.
This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull President Brandon Biegenzahn, Managing Director Courtney Dorrel, Director Rachel Loye, Executive Recruiter Mary Heiman, and Research Associate Aaron Bennett.