LOS ANGELES, July 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank, California’s Premier Private and Business Bank ® , today announced that it has hired Mathew Griesbach, a longtime and experienced banking professional, as senior vice president and head of its new Aerospace & Defense Banking Group based in San Diego. Griesbach joins City National with over 20 years of experience in the banking industry.

(For an image of Griesbach, go to http://www.cnb.com/PublishingImages/Matt-Griesbach.jpg .)

In his new role, Griesbach will manage the Aerospace & Defense industry segment nationally and look to hire additional staff as City National grows and expands its reach into this highly specialized industry.  He will be responsible for managing and developing new middle market commercial clients in the Aerospace & Defense industry by providing them with tailored financial solutions and a robust offering of bank products and services to help them achieve their business goals.

As part of the bank’s Commercial Banking Division, Griesbach will work closely with the middle market managers in cities like San Diego, Los Angeles and Washington D.C., to help source new business in the A&D industry.  He will also interact with other areas of the bank, such as Personal & Business Banking, Private Banking, Wealth Management, Real Estate Banking and others to enhance existing relationships and develop new business opportunities throughout the country. 

Griesbach will be located at City National’s San Diego Regional Center at 4275 Executive Square, Suite 750, in La Jolla.  He reports to Michael Walker, executive vice president and head of City National’s Commercial Banking Division.  Griesbach will begin immediately building out a team of A&D banking specialists in key markets around the country over the next year.

“This is a strategic hire for City National and one that we are very excited about because it provides us with the expertise we need to make significant inroads into a highly specialized industry all across the country,” said Walker.  “Matt clearly has the connections and capabilities to reach into any market and serve the banking needs of this niche industry. We are targeting Aerospace and Defense companies in key markets like San Diego, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as a springboard to growing a business similar to what we’re doing with our food and beverage group that we established a few years ago.”

Griesbach joined City National from Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he most recently served as co-head of the bank’s Aerospace & Defense Commercial Banking Group Western Region.  During his 20-plus year career in the banking industry, Griesbach also worked for the General Electric Company where he served as a risk manager and account manager.  He began his banking career as a credit analyst with Bank of America in 1998.

“City National is a perfect fit for me and my skill sets,” said Griesbach.  “They are a niche oriented bank that focuses on specific industries with segment managers and teams who have the expertise in specific industry segments like Aerospace and Defense.  I’m very excited to join a bank that has the commitment and resources to help me and my growing team reach our full professional potential while helping City National become a bank of choice in this industry segment.”

Griesbach is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Science Business Professional Studies.  While attending Notre Dame he also played varsity football as a walk-on offensive lineman under legendary coach Lou Holtz.

Griesbach is very active in the community serving as a board member and/or volunteer for several nonprofits and trade associations. Some of these affiliations include a member of the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence board, Notre Dame Alumni Association San Diego Chapter board member and current president, LEAD San Diego IMPACT graduate and volunteer, Aerospace & Defense Forum San Diego Chapter steering committee member, participant in various San Diego Regional EDC projects focused on the Aerospace & Defense industry, volunteer for Fisher House at Balboa Hospital, member of the National Defense Industrial Association and San Diego Military Advisory Council.

About City National

With $48.8 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 71 offices, including 19 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $64.9 billion in client investment assets.

City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 34 other countries.

For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com .

Media Contact: Paul C. Stowell, City National Bank, 213.673.7602 paul.stowell@cnb.com