Effective April 1, Neil Riegelman, senior vice president and head of commercial banking – Milwaukee and Madison for Associated Bank, will also assume the role of Milwaukee market president. He succeeds John Utz, executive vice president, Milwaukee market president and head of specialized industries, who will dedicate his focus to scaling the bank’s nationally focused specialty businesses he also oversees.
Utz was appointed Milwaukee market president in 2015, at a pivotal time in the bank’s evolution in the region. Under his leadership, Associated expanded its specialized industries, commercial and corporate banking presence.
“When I joined Associated and took on the role of market president, the directive for Milwaukee was clear: build a stronger commercial platform and expand our relevance in the market and I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far,” Utz said. “Neil is a Wisconsin native who can continue to grow our Milwaukee business while I focus on growing our specialized industries across the country.”
Riegelman joined Associated in October 2023 to lead the commercial banking team’s business development, client relationships and related strategies for Southern Wisconsin. Associated’s commercial business has had unprecedented growth, with 2025 being the strongest bottom line in the company’s history and the strongest year for commercial lending.
“John’s leadership has been instrumental in elevating our Milwaukee presence and building deep connections across the business community,” Riegelman said. “I’m honored to step into this role and continue advancing our commercial strategy in one of our most important markets.”
Riegelman earned a degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. He serves on the boards of Discovery World and Ducks Unlimited of Milwaukee.
