First Midwest Bank Expands Healthcare Group With N

ITASCA, Ill., Dec. 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Midwest Bank (the “Bank”) today announced that it has hired four veteran bankers to further the Bank’s strategic expansion of its existing healthcare business.

In making the announcement, Mark G. Sander, President of First Midwest Bank said, “We are pleased to have Ken Sinha, Michael Mason, Don Woods and Gerri-Ann Bagdonas join us to expand our already successful and growing Midwest healthcare group.  With extensive client relationships, these bankers increase our healthcare lending expertise and capacity while providing us the opportunity to broaden our geographic reach.”

The four newly hired bankers, who will be based in a new loan production office in Cleveland, Ohio, have provided credit and non-credit services to numerous healthcare providers as well as senior living organizations in a multi-state region and, as such, provide enhanced market opportunities to the Bank.  Healthcare is among the largest and fastest growing industries in the country and the Bank is excited to build its presence in this important sector.  The pending acquisition of Standard Bank & Trust Company includes another step in this effort, as First Midwest looks to further leverage Standard Bank’s successful commercial team servicing medical and dental practitioners.

Ken Sinha has more than 30 years of commercial banking experience and joins the Bank as a Senior Vice President in the healthcare group, leading the new office.   Active in lending to both non-profit and for-profit healthcare providers throughout the broader Midwest region, Sinha maintains relationships with many large national providers and multi-site operators. Sinha holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in economics from Denison University in Ohio.

Mike Mason, with more than 20 years of experience, has been named a Senior Vice President. He will have primary responsibility for clients in Ohio and Indiana as well as national providers.  Mason holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance and real estate from the University of Cincinnati and has a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Don Woods also joins the bank as a Senior Vice President. He has over 30 years of commercial banking experience, including ten years at RBS Citizens in C&I lending.  He will focus his efforts in the Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee markets.  Woods holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in economics from the University of Dayton.

Gerri‑Ann Bagdonas has been named a Vice President. With over 20 years of commercial banking experience, she will continue to concentrate her efforts in the markets of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York. Bagdonas holds a Bachelor in Business Administration degree in management from Lake Erie College in Ohio.

About First Midwest Bank

First Midwest Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMBI ), which is a relationship-based financial institution and one of the largest independent publicly-traded bank holding companies based on assets headquartered in the Midwest.  First Midwest Bank and other affiliates provide a full range of commercial, leasing, retail, wealth management, trust and private banking products and services through over 110 locations in metropolitan Chicago, northwest Indiana, central and western Illinois, and eastern Iowa. First Midwest’s website is www.firstmidwest.com .

Contact Information: James M. Roolf Senior Vice President and Corporate Relations Officer (630) 875-7533 jim.roolf@firstmidwest.com