Wells Fargo Taps the Expertise of 3 Boston Banking Veterans to Form a New Advisory Board to Grow Com

Wells Fargo Taps the Expertise of 3 Boston Banking Veterans to Form a New Advisory Board to Grow Commercial Banking in New England

Advisory Board is a first for Wells Fargo Commercial Banking

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To help further expand the company's position as the No. 1 middle market commercial lender in the country, Wells Fargo (NYS: WFC) announced today the formation of an Executive Advisory Board for its commercial banking operations in New England. Highly respected banking veterans Bob Smyth, Frederick "Fritz" Ferbert, and David Splaine will provide their expertise to help analyze, enhance and support the growth strategy of Wells Fargo's Boston Regional Commercial Banking Office. The advisory board is a first for the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking team in Boston as it adds resources to meet growing demand for commercial banking services in New England, which is home to more than 3,000 Wells Fargo team members in all lines of business.

"Boston is one of the largest and fastest growing Regional Commercial Banking Offices at Wells Fargo, and I'm thrilled to have the support of these three highly-regarded banking veterans as we grow our presence in New England," said Greg O'Brien, regional head of commercial banking in New England for Wells Fargo.

Bob Smyth is the former chairman, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts. He serves as board chairman of Tru Technologies and as a board director for the following organizations: Cybex International, The Palladium Group, Children's Hospital Boston, The Boston Retirement Board, Northeastern University's School of Urban Policy, U.S.S. Constitution Museum, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

"I am pleased to be associated with Wells Fargo and am impressed by the size of its New England organization, the wide product array and the caliber of its people, most of whom have substantial experience in this market," said Smyth. "I look forward to helping the team expand their business in the region."

Frederick "Fritz" Ferbert is aretired executive vice president and market executive of Middle Market Banking at Bank of America and predecessor, Fleet Boston. He began his banking career in 1975 at Harris Bank in Chicago, joining New England Merchants Bank/Bank of New England in 1979 where he held senior positions in middle market and asset-based lending, acquisition finance, and loan workout. While at Bank of America and Fleet, Ferbert was responsible for origination and portfolio management and was a senior banking executive in the region. Ferbert is a board director for Special Olympics of Massachusetts, Friends for Tomorrow, and Polar Beverages.

"The Wells Fargo approach is old-fashioned middle market banking, with a focus on building relationships with trust and putting the customer at the center of everything you do," said Ferbert.

David Splaine, a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a corporate finance and consulting veteran. He has 20 years of commercial and investment banking experience with Fleet Bank, predecessor Shawmut, and a New Hampshire-based sell-side investment bank. He also served as a senior vice president with the Boston Bruins and TD Bank Garden. Since 2009, he has been a consultant for Campus Entertainment and the New Jersey Devils, among other companies. Splaine has been a corporate board director for the Boston Celtics, Juki Automation, Vested Development, Meta Controls, and Georgetown Bancorp, and he is a nominating committee member for the Boston Options Exchange. His local affiliations include the Music Hall, Portsmouth Historic Society, New Heights, Clipper Foundation, and The Governor's Academy.

"An experienced team coupled with a consistent approach is very refreshing," said Splaine. "I am excited to play an advisory role with Wells Fargo in the region."

About Wells Fargo Commercial Banking

Wells Fargo's Commercial Bank serves middle market businesses with annual sales above $20 million. Nationwide, Wells Fargo is the No. 1 commercial bank in the markets it serves. In addition to providing a world-class customer experience for our clients, Wells Fargo Commercial Bankers are also committed to being good citizens, from charitable giving to volunteering to public service.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYS: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, and the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank's customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune's 2013 rankings of America's largest corporations. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at blog.wellsfargo.com.

Wells Fargo & Company
Dana Obrist, 704-715-6138
dana.c.obrist@wellsfargo.com
Twitter: @DanaObristWF

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