About PremierBank

Our Leadership

The experienced executives and board directors who guide PremierBank's vision — honouring 140 years of heritage while building for the next generation.

140+Years of Heritage
28Executive Leaders
38Countries Operating
$48B+Assets Under Management
Office of the CEO

Leading with Purpose

JW
Chief Executive Officer

James H. Wellington III

Chief Executive Officer & President · PremierBank

"Banking is ultimately an act of trust — trust that spans generations. Our responsibility is not just to grow assets, but to honour the confidence each client places in us, today and for decades to come."

James Wellington joined PremierBank in 2008 as Head of Private Banking and was appointed CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, the bank has expanded into 14 new markets, grown assets under management from $22B to $48B, and launched the bank's award-winning digital wealth platform. Previously, James served as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management and holds an MBA from Wharton and a BA from Yale University. He serves on the boards of the Financial Services Forum and the United Way of New York.

18yr
at PremierBank
$26B
AUM Growth
14
New Markets
Executive Committee

Senior Leadership Team

MC

25 years in financial leadership. Former CFO at JPMorgan Chase Investment Bank. CPA, MBA Chicago Booth.

Margaret L. Chen

Chief Financial Officer
Executive Committee
FinanceCapital Markets
RS

Former Citigroup Operations Director. Six Sigma Black Belt. Oversees 4,800+ staff globally.

Robert A. Sinclair

Chief Operating Officer
Executive Committee
OperationsStrategy
AF

Former Federal Reserve risk analyst. PhD MIT Financial Economics. Basel Committee advisor.

Dr. Amelia J. Foster

Chief Risk Officer
Executive Committee · Risk
RiskRegulation
NO

Former CTO Stripe, VP Engineering Goldman Sachs. Led $1.2B digital transformation. MIT & Stanford alumnus.

Nathan K. Okafor

Chief Technology Officer
Executive Committee · Technology
TechnologyAI
VA

Former UBS Wealth Management. Manages $48B AUM. CFA, MBA Harvard Business School.

Victoria H. Ashby

Head of Wealth Management
Wealth Division
WealthCFA
CL

22 years at PremierBank. Built the European franchise. MBA London Business School. Fluent in 4 languages.

Christopher D. Laurent

Head of Private Banking
Wealth · Banking
Private BankingGlobal
DR

Former Wells Fargo Commercial Banking. Oversees $12B corporate loan portfolio. MBA NYU Stern.

Diana M. Reeves

Head of Commercial Banking
Banking Division
CommercialLending
MS

Former US Treasury Deputy CISO. CISSP, CISM certified. Forbes Top 50 CISOs in Finance 2024.

Marcus T. Singh

Chief Information Security Officer
Technology · Risk
CybersecurityCISSP
Governance

Board of Directors

EW
Eleanor P. Wellington
Non-Executive Chair

Third-generation Wellington. Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce. Harvard Law JD. Member since 1998.

KM
Dr. Kevin M. Osei
Lead Independent Director

Former Governor, Bank of England. Professor of Finance, LSE. PhD Economics, Oxford. Member since 2014.

SL
Sophia L. Marchetti
Independent Director — Audit Chair

Former Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers. CPA. Audit Committee Chair since 2019. Columbia MBA. Member since 2016.

TH
Thomas J. Harrington
Independent Director — Risk Chair

Former CEO, Deutsche Bank Americas. 35 years in global finance. Risk Committee Chair. Dartmouth & Wharton MBA.

IP
Isabela R. Pereira
Independent Director — Technology

Founder & former CEO of FinTech unicorn PayVault. Stanford CS & MBA. Forbes 40 Under 40. Member since 2021.

GN
George N. Whitmore
Independent Director — Compensation Chair

Former CHRO, McKinsey & Company. Human Capital specialist. Yale & London Business School. Member since 2018.

Our Heritage

140 Years of Leadership

From a single office on Wall Street to a global private banking powerhouse, PremierBank's leadership has always been defined by vision, integrity, and a commitment to our clients.

1885
Founded by Harold J. Wellington
PremierBank established on Wall Street with $2M in capital, serving New York's merchant class.
1921
First International Office — London
Second-generation leadership opened our London office, beginning six decades of European expansion.
1967
Private Wealth Division Launched
Eleanor Wellington Sr. established the Private Wealth advisory division, a landmark moment in our history.
1998
Asia Pacific Expansion
Opened offices in Singapore and Hong Kong, extending private banking coverage to Asia's ultra-high-net-worth market.
2018
James Wellington Appointed CEO
James H. Wellington III takes the helm, announcing a bold digital transformation and global growth strategy.
2024
$48B AUM Milestone
PremierBank crosses $48B in assets under management, ranking among the top 10 global private banks.
I
Integrity
We act with honesty and transparency in every client relationship and business decision.
E
Excellence
We set the highest standards for ourselves and our work, without exception.
S
Stewardship
We are trusted custodians of our clients' financial legacy — a responsibility we take seriously.
I
Innovation
We embrace technology and bold ideas to serve the evolving needs of our clients.
Recognition

Industry Awards & Recognition

Our leadership team's dedication to excellence has earned PremierBank recognition from the industry's most prestigious institutions.

Best Private Bank — North America
Global Finance Magazine — awarded for outstanding wealth management and client service.
2025
Top CEO in Banking
James Wellington named to Barron's list of the Top 25 Financial Industry CEOs.
2024
Excellence in Risk Management
Risk.net awarded PremierBank for its enterprise risk governance framework.
2024
Digital Transformation of the Year
The Banker magazine recognised our AI-powered wealth platform for client impact.
2023
Best Bank to Work For
American Banker ranked PremierBank #4 among Top 10 Best Banks to Work For.
2023
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