Honoree: Leeann Cochran

Chief Financial Officer
CommerceWest Bank

Leeann Cochran is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. She joined CommerceWest Bank in November 2005 having previously held various audit and accounting positions at First Interstate Bank, Kinecta FCU, Quaker City Bank, and Inland Empire National Bank. She is a CPA and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Under Cochran’s financial stewardship as CFO, CommerceWest Bank remains true to its mission to redefine banking for small- and mid-sized businesses in California. Within an intelligently organized framework, the bank provides flexibility, creating a complete, safe, and sound banking experience for each client, servicing owners and catering to their specific business and individual banking needs. Cochran and the team at the bank work to accommodate their clients, rather than force their clients to accommodate the bank, providing high-quality, low-stress, and personally tailored banking and financial services. By employing a strategically selected team of experienced professionals, she and other members of the leadership team carefully shepherd the assets with which they are entrusted. In the process of doing so, they maximize the financial potential of these accounts, ensure the stability of the institution, and deliver profitable returns, enhancing shareholder value. As established financial experts, Cochran and the team strategically collaborate with clients to create a true business partnership. She and her colleagues are often sought after to provide financial guidance, banking advice, economic updates, and a refreshing perspective toward business.

In addition to her day-to-day work in banking, Cochran was a founding director of CIELO, a nonprofit organization that assists with community job creation and skill development in the technology and finance sectors available in the current economy. CIELO has become the world’s leading talent acquisition partner, delivering enhanced talent experiences for everyone through recruitment process outsourcing, executive search, contingent workforce solutions, and consulting services.