McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Robert Leon as First Vice President of Information Security at Farmers & Merchants (F&M) Bank. Robert will oversee F&M Bank’s information security function, developing and driving a strategy that anticipates and responds to the ongoing needs of the industry as well as the evolving needs of the company and its customers. He will report directly to F&M Bank’s Executive Vice President and Enterprise Risk Officer, and he will act as a member of the bank’s senior leadership team.

Robert brings over 20 years of technology architecture and engineering experience, with the last seven years specializing in information security leadership. Most recently, he served as Chief Information Security Officer at Covered California, where he oversaw the information security strategy and function to ensure the organization’s information assets, technologies, and customers were adequately protected. Robert received his Bachelor of Science in information systems from California State University.

Founded in 1916, F&M Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank which proudly serves California through 32 convenient locations. The company operates in the mid-Central Valley of California – including the counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, and Merced– and the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area – including the counties of Alameda, Napa, and Contra Costa. 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.

This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull President Brandon Biegenzahn, Executive Recruiter Rachel Loye, and Research Associate Michael Matranga.