IRVINE, California, February 1, 2017McDermott & Bull, the 29th largest executive search firm in the Americas and the fastest-growing firm within the Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Recruiters list, is proud to announce the successful appointment of Patty Staples as Chief Credit Officer with Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU), the leading banking resource for ministries across the United States, serving more than 1,800 Christian Schools, Churches and other evangelical ministries.

This executive recruiting engagement was conducted by Brandon Biegenzahn, Co-Chair of the Financial Institutions Practice; Bill Brewer, Principal Consultant; and Trey Mullen, Recruiting Associate at McDermott & Bull.  According to Brewer, “Patty has the right blend of technical ability and leadership experience to build a best-in-class credit organization focused on conservative lending practices which will enable strong and sustainable growth, driving profitability to best benefit the member base.”  Biegenzahn added, “Patty brings so much more than credit expertise, and will serve as a tremendous thought partner as part of the Executive Leadership Team.”

McDermott & Bull’s robust search process identified more than 170 candidates throughout the United States, presenting a diverse and elite slate of Chief Credit Officer candidates to ECCU’s executive management team.  Each candidate embodied the technical skillset ECCU was seeking, and brought diversity of thought to the interview process.  The end result was absolutely ideal for ECCU – the right technical fit coupled with philosophical alignment.  McDermott & Bull and ECCU partnered seamlessly on this engagement.

Staples is well suited to lead ECCU through its credit evolution.  She has sat in the Chief Credit Officer seat for more than 15 years through various economic cycles.  She was educated at San Diego State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and holds a graduate certificate from Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

About ECCU

ECCU is more than a credit union, and more than a financial institution, instead it seeks to live out its faith through its employees, modeling God’s love through their service.  With a storied history dating back more than 50 years, ECCU has grown to become the leading banking resource for ministries across the United States, serving more than 1,800 Christian schools, Churches and other evangelical ministries.  Moreover, ECCU serves missionaries in more than 100 countries.  With nearly $1 billion in total assets, ECCU delivers its services through an efficient capital structure with no branches enabling it to return its earnings to its members through higher returns on savings, lower interest rates on loans, and free services.

About McDermott & Bull

McDermott & Bull has been redefining expectations within the world of executive search since 2001.  The firm’s practice leaders, all of whom have substantial executive experience, are uniquely positioned to address the dynamic leadership demands of public and private companies across nearly every industry.  With the advent of MB Interim Leaders in 2011, McDermott & Bull is powerfully equipped to service both the permanent and interim needs of its clients.  Respected companies including Aramark, CoreLogic, Epson America, Hyundai Capital America, In-N-Out Burger, Kaiser Aluminum, Unified Grocers, Western Federal Credit Union (UNIFY Financial Credit Union), Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Chicken of the Sea, Western Digital, Golden State Foods, Google, Panda Restaurant Group, Honda Center/Anaheim Ducks, Comerica Bank, Union Bank, as well as portfolio companies owned by private equity firms such as Riverside Company, Sun Capital Partners, ClearLight Partners, Swander Pace Capital, Chicago Growth Partners, Atar Capital, and Riordan, Lewis & Hayden, have all partnered with McDermott & Bull.  Additionally, the firm’s Executive Network program provides valuable resources for and offers opportunities to build meaningful relationships with thousands of C-Suite and VP-level executives throughout the country.

With backgrounds in the banking and financial services industry, Rod McDermott, Managing Partner, and Brandon Biegenzahn, Partner, lead and represent McDermott & Bull’s Banking & Financial Institutions Practice.  Using their robust industry knowledge, Rod and Brandon partner with clients such as American River Bank, ANZ Bank, Bank of Marin, Bank of the Cascades, BNY Mellon, First American Trust, First Republic Bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, Luther Burbank Savings, Pacific Mercantile Bank, Plaza Bank, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, Silvergate Bank, Sunwest Bank, Tech CU, Union Bank, and Washington Trust Bank to find C-level executives, including CEO, COO, President, CFO, Chief Banking Officer, Chief Credit Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Information Officer, Compliance Leaders, HR Leaders, Retail Banking Executives, Trust and Wealth Management Leaders and Business Banking.  To learn more about McDermott & Bull’s Banking and Financial Institutions Practice, please visit http://mbsearch.com/industry-expertise/banking-financial-services/.