Busey Adds Top Talent to Business Lines in Expanded Footprint

As we continue to build out business teams across our growing footprint, Busey recently announced the addition of several experienced team members in leadership roles in our Wealth Management, Commercial Banking and Specialty Lending business lines following the merger of CrossFirst Bank with and into Busey Bank on June 23. New leaders joining the organization are:

 

Justin Bretag | Managing Director, Commercial
Joining Busey Bank as Managing Director, Commercial, in the Greater Phoenix area, Justin develops, manages and advances the strategic objectives of the Commercial Banking team. With nearly two decades of commercial banking and credit experience, he brings deep expertise in relationship management, credit structuring and team leadership. Prior to joining Busey, Justin held senior roles at Arizona Bank & Trust and Johnson Financial Group, where he managed commercial credit teams and built a strong portfolio of business clients.

 

Brian Cousins | Managing Director, Real Estate Banking
As Managing Director of Real Estate Banking, for Busey Bank in Arizona, Brian builds relationships with commercial real estate companies, developers and investors throughout the state. He specializes in partnering with commercial real estate owners and developers to provide creative and flexible financing solutions to bring their projects to a successful outcome. He has more than 22 years of experience in CRE banking in Arizona, and served as Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Real Estate for Arizona Bank and Trust for the past four years.

 

Wes Knight, CFP®| Managing Director, Wealth 
Wes joins Busey as Managing Director, Wealth, in the Oklahoma City Market. He and his team are responsible for identifying and generating business opportunities throughout the Oklahoma City area while ensuring client satisfaction and retention through the delivery of top-tier service and full-service wealth management and private banking solutions. With over 20 years of experience and a demonstrated history of success in the wealth management industry, Wes previously served as Senior Vice President – Private Wealth Market Director with Simmons Bank for six years. His experience also includes roles at Bank of Oklahoma Private Wealth and BancFirst Trust & Investment Management. 

 

Marietta Wetzel, CFP®| Managing Director, Wealth
As Managing Director, Wealth, in the Wichita Market, Marietta is tasked with leading a team to identify and secure business opportunities throughout the Wichita area, delivering extraordinary client service and ensuring client satisfaction and retention through Busey’s full suite of wealth management and private banking solutions. Before joining Busey, Marietta served with INTRUST Bank in Wichita for 22 years as a Senior Wealth Strategist and Senior Portfolio Manager. She also held the role of Senior Portfolio Manager with U.S. Trust/Bank of America.

 

Kevin Zimmermann | Managing Director, Wealth
Joining in the Kansas City Market as Managing Director, Wealth, Kevin has over 10 years of leadership in Private Banking and Wealth Management with a track record of overseeing teams and driving hundreds of millions of dollars of assets under management, credit and deposit growth, and expertise in the development, management and retention of high value client relationships. With Busey, he is tasked with helping build a fully integrated team to help support the growth of Busey Wealth Management and Private Banking while ensuring a seamless client experience. Prior to joining Busey, he served at HTLF Bank, Bank of America and UMB Financial.