Sunwest Bank named Carson Lappetito president. He will be responsible for leading day-to-day operations while growing the organization’s footprint.

Lappetito joined Sunwest as chief operating officer in 2015 and has been a key driver behind the organization’s recent growth. During Lappetito’s tenure, the bank experienced rapid growth, increasing assets by 25% and annual earnings by over 60%.

“Mr. Lappetito is a high performing, innovative and results-oriented leader who has been instrumental in our growth. I believe his background in the financial services industry and his ability to identify and deliver what is most important to our stakeholders, has enabled us to fortify our position as the premier bank for entrepreneurs in the region,” said Eric Hovde, chairman and CEO.

Prior to Sunwest, Lappetito served as COO of Sunwest Bank’s parent company, H Bancorp. Previously, he acted as vice president of Hovde Private Equity Advisors and assistant portfolio manager for Hovde Capital Advisors. Prior to that, Lappetito worked at Darling Consulting Group, an advisory firm that specializes in the financial services industry.

Founded in 1969 and based in Irvine, CA, Sunwest Bank is a privately held commercial bank with over $1.1 billion in assets and operations in California, Arizona, Idaho and Utah.