1st Century Bank, a division of MidFirst Bank, added an experienced team of commercial and industrial bankers. The new hires include George A. Pérez, as managing director, Carlos Payan as regional manager and Robert Rodriguez as director of sales.

The team will be responsible for 1st Century Bank’s new downtown Los Angeles commercial real estate and industrial market expansion by helping businesses leverage resources for expansion while providing leading edge technology to manage cash flow and deposits.

“Our culture is built on the importance of extraordinary personal attention, experienced guidance and commitment to the communities we serve,” said Jason P. DiNapoli, president and CEO, 1st Century Bank. “The dedication of our talented team to the success of our clients has made this vision a reality. Bringing more than 50 years of combined experience helping prominent, family-held businesses in the greater Los Angeles market, George, Carlos and Robert will continue that focus as part of our ever growing and dynamic team.”

Prior to joining 1st Century Bank, Pérez worked as a portfolio management director. He has more than 30 years of experience in credit administration and risk management with expertise in underwriting and portfolio management.

With 1st Century Bank, Payan will be responsible for working with potential clients of 1st Century Bank’s commercial and industrial banking strategy. He joins the C&I team with a wealth of experience in the management of a large portfolio with a diverse customer base.

Rodriguez joins 1st Century Bank with a record of managing a large diversified commercial portfolio. In in his previous experience, Rodriguez was responsible for middle market and mid-corporate clients with a focus on those with revenues of $10 million to $100 million.