Opus Bank announced Matt Christensen joined Opus as senior managing director, commercial banking – Northern California, and as senior managing director, corporate finance within Opus’ Merchant Bank.

Christensen joins from Bridge Bank where he served as SVP, San Francisco regional manager. Before that, he served as SVP, commercial banking manager at City National Bank. Christensen served as Western Region team leader for Merrill Lynch’s commercial lending group. Following the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Christensen served as SVP, client manager – middle market banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Christensen served in a variety of capacities with GE Capital, including managing director, sponsor finance; SVP, team leader – retail and restructuring; and SVP, team leader – corporate lending.

Christensen, a 31-year banking veteran, is responsible for expanding Opus’ commercial and corporate client base, as well as leading, managing, and growing the presence and impact of Opus’ Commercial Banking division in the San Francisco Bay Area. He will additionally focus on advising and expanding Opus’ relationships with middle market companies engaging in M&A transactions, leveraged buyouts, and other strategic ownership changes.

Stephen H. Gordon, chairman, CEO and president of Opus Bank stated, “We are thrilled that Matt has joined Opus to lead our Commercial Banking and Corporate Finance divisions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Matt is a highly regarded and experienced banker who shares Opus’ approach to relationship-based banking, where our bankers are viewed as trusted advisors in their approach to delivering tailored financial solutions to those entrepreneurs, businesses, and middle market companies with the vision and ability to expand and grow. Clients of Opus’ Corporate Finance division will benefit as well from Matt’s diverse background, which includes extensive experience developing strategies for, and providing debt financing solutions to, middle market companies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area region for mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buy-outs, balance sheet restructurings, recapitalizations, and growth capital. We anticipate that his over 30 years of experience and success providing debt financing, depository, treasury cash management, and advisory solutions to middle market businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area will add to the success Opus has already achieved having funded over $300 million of loans in the San Francisco Bay Area in just the past two years.”