Alliance Bank of Arizona today announced that President Ed Zito will retire effective March 31, 2018, following 15 years with the company. As a division of Western Alliance Bank, Alliance Bank of Arizona is the state’s largest locally-headquartered banking division. Western Alliance Bank, the primary subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) holds more than $20 billion in assets.
An early executive at Alliance Bank of Arizona, which began as a start-up in 2003 and is now Arizona’s go-to business banking resource, Zito has long been a leader in the state’s commercial banking and public finance sectors.
Beyond banking, he has made significant contributions to the region’s economic development and success in a variety of roles including initial vice chairman of Arizona Economic Resource Organization (AERO), a public-private partnership formed to lead Arizona’s economic development initiatives. Zito also has served in senior leadership positions with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Phoenix Inc., the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Steering Committee, Living Cities Capital Absorption Steering Committee, and he has been part of the Canada Arizona Business Council.
“It has been a privilege to help build Alliance Bank of Arizona and collaborate with so many business clients over the past 15 years,” said Zito. “One of the things I am most proud of in my career at Alliance Bank is encouraging the next generation of bankers to not only be strategic in their contributions to the bank, but also to give back to their communities and the local economy.”
Zito is also well-recognized in the nonprofit space as a founding member of Arizona’s chapter for Social Venture Partners. The nonprofit organization launched in 1999 and takes an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy with a network of partners that donate money and lend their time and talent to nonprofit organizations primarily focused on children and education.
“Ed has played a remarkable role in the growth of Alliance Bank of Arizona. On behalf of the hundreds of employees and customers he has impacted, myself included, it has been a pleasure to work with Ed and we are thankful for his service to the bank and the greater business community,” said Don Garner, CEO of Alliance Bank of Arizona.
Don Garner continues to lead Alliance Bank of Arizona as CEO, with Tim Bruckner serving as chief credit officer. The organization will announce a successor for Zito as president of Alliance Bank of Arizona later this year.
