New leadership named at Bankers Trust in Iowa

Bankers Trust, a $2.1 billion bank based in Des Moines, Iowa, has hired Suku Radia to become president. His first day on the job was March 13.

Radia is well known to many Iowa bankers because he headed up the banking practice at KPMG for many years before taking the chief financial officer post

Radia, 56, replaces J. Michael Earley, who announced last year that he planned to retire by the end of 2008. Earley, 62, has been president of Bankers Trust since 1992. Earley was North * Western Financial Review's Banker of the Year for 2000. It is anticipated that Radia will assume the titles of CEO and Chairman later this year as Earley phases into retirement. Radia and Earley have been friends for more than 30 years.

Radia, who graduated from Iowa State University in 1974, has never been a banker but worked closely with more than 100 Iowa banks during a 25-year tenure with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., which later changed its name to KPMG.

Radia, who grew up in Kampala, Uganda, is a nationally recognized tax expert, having served on the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner's Advisory Group, a select 18-member national panel. He also is active in or has chaired a wide variety of professional, economic development, educational and charitable organizations, including the United Way of Central Iowa, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Better Business Bureau, and Rotary Club. He is a recipient of Iowa State University's Distinguished Alumni Award.

* Jim Conrad has been named president of University Bank, St. Paul, Minn. Conrad, a 25-year veteran in the banking industry, most recently served as senior vice president of commercial lending for the bank. David Reiling, who had held the position prior to the announcement, will offer the bank strategic counsel while concentrating his efforts on Sunrise Community Banks, University Bank's parent company, where he serves as CEO.

"Jim's work in strengthening University Bank's commercial lending office over the past five years made him an excellent candidate to lead the bank," Reiling said. "Our employees and customers will benefit from his expertise in banking and his dedication to serving the community."

"The position will be challenging and I am honored to continue the tradition of socially responsible banking," Conrad said. "I love being part of University Bank's commitment to the community and having the opportunity to assist our neighbors while continuing the practice of prudent and profitable banking."

Conrad is a 1981 graduate from St. John's University, Collegeville, Minn. Before beginning his banking career, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. Prior to joining University Bank in 2003, he worked at Signal Bank (now Associated Bank) as vice president of commercial lending.

* Ross Johnson has been named president of two Rocky Mountain Bank offices in Billings, Mont. Johnson has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. Originally from Buffalo, S.D., Johnson has lived in the Billings area for more than two years.

Also at the bank, Jeff Berger has been hired as a mortgage loan originator. Berger has psychology and business degrees from Rocky Mountain College, Billings. He is a Billings native.

Additionally, Kimberly Jenkins was promoted to assistant vice president of real estate. Jenkins joined the bank as a teller in 2000.

* Nick Papachristou has been named executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Associated Bank, Green Bay, Wis. He will be responsible for leading strategic initiatives in marketing, brand management, product development and pricing, customer database and analytics, and corporate communications. Papachristou, who is based in Milwaukee, brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services product management, marketing, and relationship management experience to the bank. Prior to joining Associated, he held the position of senior business leader with MasterCard Worldwide, based in New York. Papachristou has a bachelor's degree in marketing from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn.

* The Joy State Bank, Joy, 111., announced:

Hugh Brown has been promoted to vice president. Brown will be responsible for bank investments, compliance, security and tax planning. Brown has a bachelor's degree from Millikin University, Decatur, Ill.

Susie Lafferty has been promoted to cashier. Lafferty will supervise bank operations and chair the bank's technology team. She brings more than 30 years of banking experience in operations, loans technology and processing, to her position.

Jeff Wieland, senior vice president and controller, is retiring. Wieland has been with the bank since 1997; he will continue to participate with the bank's board of directors and with Bluestem Development, the bank's holding company. Wieland has served as president of the Mississippi Valley Bank Administration Institute.