Bank of the West opened a Commercial Banking Center in Dallas to address the growing global needs of middle-market businesses and the large corporate segment.

Susan Garner, recently hired as managing director and regional manager at Bank of the West, will lead the new center. Prior to joining Bank of the West, Garner was a senior vice president for Citibank’s Commercial Banking Group in Dallas. She also spent 21 years at JPMorgan Chase in various commercial banking roles. Garner will report to John Thurston, managing director, area manager at Bank of the West.

“Susan is a fantastic addition to our team who brings tremendous experience addressing the complex, increasingly global needs of commercial clients along with deep knowledge of the region’s top sectors,” added Mark Glasky, executive vice president, head of Commercial Banking Coverage.

The launch is part Bank of the West’s ongoing geographic expansion following the most recent opening of another Commercial Banking Center in Ohio in June.

The new Commercial Banking Center will offer a full suite of commercial services, including lending, equipment leasing, domestic and international treasury management, with access to international markets provided by BNP Paribas, Bank of the West’s parent company. Bank of the West’s Commercial Banking Group also provides deep local knowledge across several of the region’s key industries including Healthcare, Food and Agriculture, Technology, Retail, Manufacturing and Diversified Industries.

The center will serve Dallas and the surrounding geographic region, including Houston; Austin, TX; San Antonio; Baton Rouge, LA; New Orleans; Oklahoma City,OK and Tulsa, OK.

“The Texas economy is one of the largest and most vibrant anywhere on the globe1, home to some of the largest public and private U.S. companies as well as fast-growing startups poised to change their respective industries,” said Jean-Marc Torre, head of Commercial Banking, Bank of the West. “With this new center, we are committed to delivering the products and solutions that these companies need to grow, offering deep local expertise along with the global reach through our parent company BNP Paribas.”