1stWEST Financial announced the appointment of Sue Bury Oldham as the company’s chief executive officer, replacing Jerry Oldham, who recently received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. While he has worked tirelessly for nearly 25 years building 1stWEST into a market leader in the corporate finance industry, he feels he must step back and take a less active role in the day-to-day, to focus on his health.

“Sue has been a vital part of the success and growth of the 1stWEST brand. She has worked with our team since 1991 and I am confident in her ability to lead the business in addition to her sales and marketing duties as chief marketing officer,” stated Jerry Oldham.

Jerry will remain involved as chairman, acting in an internal senior advisory capacity. With a strong and tenured senior management team in place, 1stWEST will continue to operate as usual. 1stWEST co-founder Debbie Allbritten will continue in her role as president and COO.