Old National Bancorp aligned its commercial banking leadership structure to better match leadership roles and responsibilities with the capabilities, reach and complexity of its commercial clients. As part of this updated structure, Chris Doyle has joined Old National as president of commercial banking, and John C. Thurston has been promoted to president of corporate banking.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Old National, and we are equally excited to welcome John into an expanded leadership role,” Jim Ryan, chairman and CEO of Old National, said. “This new alignment not only allows us to fully leverage the strengths and experience of both leaders, it also reflects the growing scale of our commercial business and our commitment to providing exceptional, highly individualized service to all our commercial clients.”
Additionally, Old National is further aligning key treasury management and commercial middle office functions. Joe Wicklander, president of treasury solutions and payments, will continue to lead treasury management, merchant services and the financial institutions group while also taking on responsibility for Old National’s foreign exchange (FX) business and building out FinTech and liquidity solutions. Tim Kocher will transition from chief credit strategy officer to chief service delivery officer, providing leadership that strengthens service delivery for commercial banking clients.
These leadership updates follow the departure of Jim Sandgren, commercial banking CEO, who retired on April 1, 2026, after 34 years of service with the organization.
Doyle brings more than 20 years of banking experience, most recently serving as commercial regional leader, senior vice president at a super-regional bank, where he spent nine years supporting complex client transactions, growth strategies, capital needs and succession planning.
In this new leadership role, Doyle will oversee commercial and industrial (C&I) banking (including SBA lending and agricultural lending), middle market banking (including asset-based lending, small business investment company and family office), commercial real estate and expansion markets.
Doyle is active in the local Cleveland-area community, where he serves as a board member of Urban Community School (board chair), Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and GESU Finance Council. He is also a member of Leadership Cleveland class of 2026. Chris earned a bachelor of business administration in finance from Saint Louis University.
Thurston, who joined Old National in 2023 and most recently served as corporate banking director, has been appointed president of the corporate bank, which will serve Old National’s largest commercial banking clients. Thurston brings 30 years of industry experience spanning multiple geographies, lines of business and industry verticals.
He has led teams across the country while driving strategic initiatives, new business development and long‑term client growth strategies. In his expanded leadership role, Thurston will oversee corporate banking, specialty banking and capital markets (including syndications, tax credit, term loan B, sponsor finance and investment banking/M&A).
A resident of Chicago for more than 30 years, Thurston is highly active in the Chicago community, serving as a member of the board of directors at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep, as well as a board member at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. He is the past chairman of the Old St. Mary’s Church Finance Committee, and a member of the Old St. Mary’s School Finance sub-committee and Amate House board of directors. Thurston earned a bachelor of business administration and bachelor of arts in finance and business economics from the University of Notre Dame.
Wicklander has modernized and enhanced Old National’s treasury management and merchant services offerings while also launching a financial institutions group. He will continue to lead treasury management, merchant services and the financial institutions group with added responsibility for Old National’s FX business. Prior to joining Old National in 2023, he led the financial institutions group for CIBC Bank in Chicago.
Kocher will transition from chief credit strategy officer to chief service delivery officer, providing operational leadership that strengthens service delivery for commercial banking clients. In this role, he will oversee commercial administration (including loan fulfillment and commercial support) and treasury management middle office functions, helping ensure consistent execution, strong controls and a seamless client experience. Formerly a member of Bremer Bank’s executive leadership team, Kocher officially transitioned to Old National’s leadership with the completion of the bank’s Bremer Bank partnership in 2025.
