During this unparalleled period, when individuals and companies must constantly pivot and reinvent themselves in a myriad of ways, it’s crucial to remain ahead of the game.

That’s the strongest growth in nearly two decades after the deepest recession since the Great Depression, according to the latest forecast of the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory Committee (EAC).

Despite the social and fiscal challenges of last year, 2021 is looking bright from a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) perspective. Based on surprisingly robust activity in fourth quarter of 2020,...

Last month, the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) released a new roadmap to provide audit practitioners with a blueprint to support companies in achieving their environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting goals.

The approval followed an extensive review of the market by X9 as part of the customary five-year maintenance cycle. The action ensures that financial market participants in the U.S. and around the world can continue to place their trust and confidence in the CUSIP system.

Despite persistent challenges from the pandemic-induced recession, the credit card market continues to show resilience. The chief economists of North America’s largest banks see improvement in business and consumer credit market conditions over the next six months, according to the latest quarterly report from the American Bankers Association (ABA).

Mohamed “Mike” Ahmar is a founder, and the executive chairman of the board, of Partners Bank of California, and the president of Ahmar Investment Inc., a real estate development company that develops and leases commercial and multi-family properties.

As president of business banking for Bank of America, Los Angeles-based Raul A. Anaya leads a nationwide division that serves nearly 40,000 U.S. mid-sized companies with annual revenues from $5 million to $50 million. Anaya is part of the bank’s executive management team that helps set the overall strategic direction of Bank of America.

Throughout her exceptional 30-year career, Frida Bank stands out for her leadership roles at top Los Angeles area banks. Beginning her career at an entry level position in banking, through a succession of promotions at several prestigious institutions, she rose to her current role.

Behnam helps middle-market banks think through how to shift their business from a traditional model to a digital one in which they can bring new products and services to compete and meet the changing demands of their customers, and all in a cost-effective way.

When Kelly Coffey took the job of CEO of the largest bank based in Los Angeles, City National Bank, two years ago, she became the bank’s fourth chief executive officer and is now one of only four women CEOs among the largest 50 banks in the country.

Sherry Cefali is a managing director in the Transaction Opinions practice and the head of Duff & Phelps’ Los Angeles office of approximately 100 people. She has been with Duff & Phelps for 30 years, advising companies and boards, rendering fairness opinions and solvency opinions and determining valuations of companies and securities.

Jacky Dilfer is a trusted advisor, helping her clients grow their businesses, create job opportunities, and better serve their communities.

Gene Dunford has been in the banking industry for 30 years and has worked with both large and small banks. He holds an MBA from the University of Redlands. He also graduated with a B.S. in Business from Utah State University’s John Huntsman School of Business.

California Bank&Trust recently announced the promotion of Eric Ellingsen, a banking industry leader and company veteran of over 20 years, from president and COO to CEO, effective January 4, 2021. Ellingsen continues his role as president with new leadership responsibilities as CEO.

Brian Ford is a Debt Finance partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland and Ellis where he continuously leads complex financing transactions for some of the firm’s most prominent clients, including Oaktree Capital Management and Francisco Partners.

Gerber and the Gerber Kawasaki team oversee $1.6 billion of investments as of last year and focus on technology, media, and entertainment sectors. Gerber Kawasaki has become a leader in fintech by leveraging technology and social media to work with a large and diverse client base.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Goldsmith leveraged his decades of banking experience to discuss these challenges and the appropriate policy responses with experts, including a former Federal Reserve chairman, a former Council of Economic Advisors Chair and others.

Based in Los Angeles, Michele Havens is Northern Trust’s president of the West Region. In this position she is responsible for leading the company’s wealth management business in the Western United States, from Washington to Texas. Havens is responsible for the investment management, trust, estate, private and business banking business.

Brad Holtmeier is a partner at CriticalPoint Capital (CPC), an operations-focused private equity firm in the middle market. CPC specializes in corporate carve-outs, special situations and privately-owned businesses seeking a transition. Holtmeier joined CPC at its founding in 2012 and has worked on the firm’s 12+ investments since inception.

Danilo Kawasaki, Vice President and COO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, oversees the compliance and day-today operations of the firm. He is also a member of the Gerber Kawasaki Board of Directors and the Investment Selection Committee.

In her capacity, she is responsible for managing a team of bankers delivering SBA lending to small business in her community.

As IDB Bank’s regional manager for California, Kiyoun Kim oversees the bank’s full-service branches in Downtown Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Kim leads Middle Market Business Banking, Commercial Real Estate, and Private Banking for IDB. She continues to focus on bringing new, innovative products and customized solutions to the local marketplace.

Jason Lawit is the president of the Los Angeles region for Northern Trust. He works to grow the business and regularly participates in new business and relationship opportunities.

Chris Lewis co-founded RLH and led the firm throughamulti-decade trajectory of growth and success, developing from a small family office to an institutional private equity group managing assets in excess of $1 billion.

Chang M. Liu is the president and chief executive officer of Cathay Bank and Cathay General Bancorp and serves as a member on the Board of Directors for Cathay. Liu leads the oldest operating bank in the U.S.

Rudy Medina serves as the Southern California market president for U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. Medina leads themarket in company-wide efforts and activities and directs commercial banking in the greater Southern California area.

Entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Marc F. McMorris is a co-founder and managing director of Carrick Capital Partners, where he is directly involved in the identification, selection and post-investment growth guidance of the firm’s portfolio companies in software and software-enabled businesses.

Steve Miller is a partner in Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s Finance practice, advising equity sponsors and their portfolio companies as well as strategic buyers and borrowers in connection with the debt component of large cap, middle-market and...

Partner Raines Feldman LLP.

Joel Montminy founded and leadsMontminy & Co., spearheading its client assignments and operations across the globe. He is a high-impact leader who successfully spearheads both Montminy & Co.’s daily operations as well as client assignments across the globe.

Ed Moyzes was born in Kiev before the fall of the Soviet Union, eventually immigrating to Denver with his family when he was five. After spending time at big four public accounting firms and a dot com start up, he decided he wanted greater control over his professional future and started his career as a financial advisor.

Sensing that a shift was taking place in the financial services industry, her intention was to build a platform that focused on strategic financial planning alongside investment management to better serve clients.

David Nemecek is a corporate partner in Kirkland & Ellis’ Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on representing private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, hedge funds, asset managers and alternative capital sources in complex financing...

Anant has over 25 years of public accounting experience and leads GHJ’s Advisory and Transaction Advisory Services practices and isamember of GHJ’s Executive Committee. He advises in mergers and acquisitions and provides financial due diligence consulting.

Since becoming MP, he has overseen over ten mergers, which have more than doubled the size of the firm and increased revenues to $70 million. In addition to the financial success of the firm, he has also created initiatives within the firm that have added to the diversity and thus, success of an evolving and growing organization.

Seibly started at Union Bank right at the onset of the pandemic in the United States. As Union Bank has navigated through the pandemic, Seibly has spearheaded the effort to ensure that safety, transparent communication and empathy were added to every...

Mark Sampson co-founded Pacific Growth Investors and its predecessor fund, Vintage Capital Partners, to accelerate value creation at lower middle market companies as their control financial sponsor.

Maytal Shainberg began her career focused on venture capital-backed digital advertising start-ups, where she developed strong competencies around the publishing, user-experience and video categories. In 2015, she joined fintech start-up FastPay, where she developed the company’s sales strategy and led a 15-person team focused on enterprise clients.

Routinely listed among the best lawyers in America for banking and finance litigation, Lisa Simonetti joined Greenberg Traurig in 2019 and has quickly become a key member of the firm’s Financial Services Litigation and Regulatory Compliance practices, carving out an important niche defending complex class actions and enforcement proceedings.

Alex Soltani founded Skyview Capital in 2005 and is chairman of the firm’s executive and investment committees. He is a serial entrepreneur and started his first business when still a student at UCLA. Soltani brings extensive operational experience to his work in private equity.

Paul Sweeney is a member of the K&L Gates LLP Los Angeles office’s commercial litigation group, where he focuses his practice on handling complex business disputes, both individual and class action lawsuits, involving unfair business practices,...

Beyond serving as the partner-in-charge of Barnes & Thornburg's San Diego office, Troy Zander counsels banks and non-regulated lenders, which lend funds to technology and life science companies, and the venture capital and private equity firms that support them.

A founding partner, Jeffrey White has been actively involved with all M&A efforts at Skyview Capital since its inception. Skyview is a privately held investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles, operating a portfolio of acquired companies worldwide..

The outlook for bank construction lending was strong prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and bankers remain optimistic despite challenges resulting from the health and economic crisis, according to a report released by the American Bankers Association.

UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business MBA programs offer a personalized educational experience to help students develop the tools and leadership skills to think creatively and strategically about the challenges and opportunities created by digital technologies.

We do things differently at Loyola Marymount University. Our graduate business programs transform students into agile professionals and executives who positively impact organizations and society.

By making a positive impact on students, they will be equipped to go out into the world and do the same – turning small ripples into significant waves. The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School proudly offers a diverse range of full-time, part-time, executive, and C-level graduate degree programs.

The Executive MBA is an accelerated hybrid program with compressed weekend and online courses. It is designed for managers and leaders of corporate and nonprofit organizations who strive to excel and transform their teams.

The part-time evening MBA program at CSUN's David Nazarian College of Business and Economics offers working professionals the opportunity to invest in their future and secure their careers. This MBA program is not simply education offered "to" students, but an educational experience "with" students.

At the Drucker School of Management, we embrace Peter Drucker's philosophy that the practice of management requires a people-oriented approach. Our students enjoy small class sizes, approachable faculty, and supportive career counselors to help them grow professionally and meet their goals.

USC Marshall is a global business school in the heart of L.A. Consistently ranked among the nation’s premier schools, Marshall offers impressive international and experiential opportunities, cutting-edge research and industry engagement, and is supported by the powerful Trojan network.