Valley Bank expanded its Chicago office by hiring Matthew Weidle as first senior vice president and Midwest regional president.

In this new role, Weidle will focus on expanding Valley Bank’s commercial banking presence in the Chicago market and Midwest region. Valley Bank inherited the commercial banking team for this region through its merger with Bank Leumi USA in April 2022.

Under Weidle’s leadership, the bank will work with industries such as manufacturing, distribution and transportation while also serving companies in the technology and business services sectors. Valley Bank also intends to bring new verticals to the marketplace, including asset-based lending, association banking, leasing and SBA lending, among other solutions.

“Few people understand the marketplace and needs of the business community as well as Matt Weidle,” Jeff Watts, head of corporate banking at Valley Bank, said. “With Matt leading our brand in the market and Jerry Lumpkins continuing to lead our real estate business in the Midwest region, Valley will help customers capitalize on today’s evolving marketplace as we expand our footprint across the region.”

Weidle joined Valley Bank with more than two decades of banking experience, most recently at Bank of the West, where he served as regional manager and led coverage for the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes region and managed a team of bankers responsible for a book of business of more than $2 billion in loan commitments. During his 11 years at Bank of the West, Weidle grew a team of two into a team of more than 40 financial professionals.

“This is an exciting moment in banking where regional consolidation has resulted in a wide array of opportunities,” Weidle said. “We’ve seen how resilient the Midwest can be in even the most challenging economic environments. I look forward to showing what a partner like Valley, focused on strength, stability and trust, can do to fuel our clients’ forward momentum.”