Opus Bank expanded its San Diego Commercial Banking team with two new hires: James R. Wade as managing director, senior client manager, Commercial Banking, and Chris Stratton as managing director, business development officer.
Jim Haney, executive vice president, head of Commercial Banking, commented, “We are pleased that Jim and Chris have joined Opus to expand our client coverage in San Diego, the fifth most populous county in the nation. Jim and Chris are highly regarded banking veterans who share Opus’ approach to relationship-based commercial banking and have a tremendous depth of experience providing tailored solutions to entrepreneurs, business owners, and middle market companies.”
Wade most recently worked at HomeStreet Bank, where he served as first vice president and was responsible for establishing and growing a portfolio comprised of middle market commercial and industrial clients in San Diego County. From 2010 to 2017, he served as president of Vindrauga, a San Diego-based lender that invests in early stage businesses, primarily through secured convertible debt. From 2008 to 2010, Wade served as senior vice president and senior client manager with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and, from 1998 to 2008, as first vice president and team leader at Comerica Bank. Wade began his banking career at Union Bank in 1991 as assistant vice president, Middle Market Banking.
Stratton joins Opus from Wells Fargo, where he served since 2005, most recently as senior vice president, Western market segment manager. While serving in this role, Stratton ranked first among his peers in revenue growth for 2015 and 2016. Earlier with Wells Fargo, Stratton served as vice president, business development officer area manager for the bank’s northern San Diego County region. From 2002 to 2005, he worked as a financial advisor with UBS. Stratton began his career in 1998 as a financial advisor with Prudential Securities in San Diego.
