Heartland Financial USA‘s board of directors named Bruce Lee CEO. Effective June 1, 2018, Lee, who has served as Heartland’s president since January 2015, will assume his expanded role as president and CEO of Heartland Financial, USA.
Lee will assume full leadership of Heartland’s operations and its 10, soon to be 11 bank charters, serving 89 communities from 117 banking centers.
“Our company has carefully planned for our succession of leadership. Over the past three years, Bruce Lee and I have worked side by side, leading the company to Reach New Heights,” said Lynn B. Fuller, chairman and CEO, Heartland. “Bruce Lee is an extraordinarily talented banker. Bruce has a proven track record of success and his experience in leading banks both large and small, makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Heartland Group of bank charters and carry on Heartland’s long legacy of performance.
To ensure a seamless transition, Lynn B. Fuller will remain in an active role, as operating executive chairman, overseeing merger and acquisition activity, Investor Relations, as well as, Enterprise Risk and Audit.
Lee, who joined Heartland in January 2015, brings more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry. During his 12 years at Fifth Third, a $130 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Lee held numerous leadership positions with progressive responsibilities, including executive vice president and chief credit officer, reporting directly to the CEO. During the credit crisis, he served as executive vice president and director of the company’s special assets group. Additionally, he served as executive vice president, Commercial Banking division head and affiliate senior commercial banker. Previously, he served as president and CEO of a Fifth Third affiliate bank in Northwestern Ohio.
Prior to Fifth Third, Lee served as an executive vice president and board member for Capital Bank, a community bank located in Sylvania, OH.
