McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Craig Heimuller as Chief Operating Officer at Fresno First Bank. Craig will be tasked with overseeing all operations and technology for the bank’s three distinct business segments under its efficient capital structure. He will play a key role in shaping the future of the bank and will be a visible strategic and operational leader, driving its financial success through organic growth, market and product expansions, and an opportunistic M+A strategy.

Craig is a true operator with a foundation in technology. He joins Fresno First from Oregon-based Northwest Bank where he served as the Chief Deposit Officer and Information Technology Officer. Craig spent 24 years with Bank of the Cascades where he saw the bank from $100 million in assets to $3 billion, fueled by a recapitalization and the bank’s eventual sale to First Interstate Bank. The scope of Craig’s operational competencies sets him apart, having overseen electronic banking, core processing, and M+A conversion activities. Craig earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science from Southern Oregon University and is a graduate of University of Virginia’s Executive Banking Leadership Program and of the Pacific Coast Banking School. 

Fresno First, founded in 2005, is a highly profitable community bank with a diversified business model. This includes a national SBA and multi-family commercial lending platform, as well as a national merchant services payments business operating on top of their community bank foundation. 

This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull President Brandon Biegenzahn, Vice President Michelle Davis, and Senior Executive Recruiter Courtney Dorrel.