David Musicant joined Sunflower Bank in a newly created regional president role to lead strategy and growth of its commercial banking teams.
Musicant oversees the bank’s commercial banking strategy in Orange County and is scaling immediately with new hires in Irvine to complement First Foundation Advisors’ presence. In San Diego, Ernesto Arredondo and Steve Clark continue to lead the local market as co-managing group directors.
James Canepa, who joined Sunflower Bank as regional president in 2024 to establish its commercial banking presence in California, now oversees strategy for Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
“David Musicant’s deep middle-market knowledge and proven banking leadership in the region and its key industries make him an excellent addition to our Southern California team that now includes First Foundation Advisors,” Neal Arnold, president and CEO of Sunflower Bank, said. “With David on board, we look forward to accelerating our growth and strengthening client relationships in the region.”
Musicant has more than 35 years of middle-market banking experience in Southern California. He has held senior leadership roles at both national and large regional banks. Most recently, Musicant was a managing director leading West Coast market expansion for an out-of-footprint bank responsible for building corporate client coverage teams across financial services, healthcare, technology and entertainment. Musicant is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and holds a degree in business and managerial economics.
“It’s an exciting time to join Sunflower Bank,” Musicant said. “With the acquisition of First Foundation, the bank is both doubling its size and making a statement move into Southern California. Growth in clients, staff and market share is why I’m here, and the bank has committed the resources necessary to achieve these objectives. My charge is to partner with the existing First Foundation and Sunflower Bank teams and build relationships that will multiply our growth over the next several years.”
