Bankwell Financial BWFG

Mr. Gruseke was appointed to these positions and nominated as a director in February 2015. He joined the Company as Chief Strategic Officer in January 2015. He was a founding investor and director of Bankwell Financial Group's predecessors, BNC Financial Group, Inc., and The Bank of New Canaan. He brings more than 25 years of capital markets, operations, sales and finance experience to his role at the Company. Most recently, he was a member of the Executive Committee at CRT Capital, a Stamford, Connecticut-based broker/dealer. He also served as Co-Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Greenwich Capital Markets. Mr. Gruseke earned a B.A. from Williams College and an M.S. from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Mr. McNeill, joined the Company in March 2020. Mr. McNeill joined the Company as Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer. On January 22, 2025, Mr. McNeill, was elected to President of the Bank and the Company. He has more than 20 years of experience in commercial banking. Prior to joining the Company, he served as Head of Commercial Lending at Metropolitan Commercial Bank. During his 7 years at Metropolitan Commercial Bank the bank grew its lending assets from $400 million to over $3 billion. Mr. McNeill has additionally held lending roles at HSBC Bank US and Banco Santander. Mr. McNeill has also served as Managing Partner at American Real Estate Lending, a commercial real estate finance company.

Mr. Hildebrand, age 43, joined the Company in June 2023. Prior to joining the Company, from 2021 to 2023, he served as the Strategic Innovation Officer at Lincoln Savings Bank and as the President of Lincoln Savings Bank's financial technology subsidiary, LSBX, which experienced significant deposit and revenue growth under his leadership. Prior to this role, Mr. Hildebrand held the position of Head of Fintech Banking at Cross River Bank, which established numerous new partnerships during his tenure from 2019 to 2021. In 2013, he co-founded Seed, the pioneering business neobank, which he later sold to Cross River Bank in 2019. Before that, Mr. Hildebrand was Head of Finance and Strategy at Simple Bank from 2011 to 2013, where he played an integral role in its sale to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA). Mr. Hildebrand received his B.A. in Accounting from Oregon State University.

Mr. Drexler has been a portfolio manager with Mariner Capital since 2011. From 2004 to 2011, he was a private equity investor and partner in both 5-Mile Ventures and Great Point Partners, both located in Rowayton, Connecticut. He was previously Managing Director of Derivative Products at Greenwich Capital Markets for 22 years and a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, The Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Mr. Drexler joined our Board of Directors in 2001 and served on the board of The Bank of New Canaan from its organization. He served as Executive Chairman of the Company from August 2014 to February 2015.

Mr. Dale joined RealTruck, Inc. in April 2023 and serves as its Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and Corporate Transactions. Prior to that, Mr. Dale served as a partner in Balance Point Capital, a middle market private equity and debt firm, from January 2019 through May 2022. Prior to Balance Point, Mr. Dale was an executive at Nielsen PLC (NYSE: NLSN) and served as that company's Chief Legal Officer from August 2015 through January 2019. Prior to joining Nielsen, Mr. Dale had been a Partner with the law firm of Robinson & Cole, LLP in Stamford, Connecticut since 2002. He was a director of a public company, Zerotree Technologies, Inc., from 2000 until its merger with e-Media, LLC in 2002. Mr. Dale joined our Board of Directors in 2008 and served on the board of The Bank of Fairfield from its organization until its merger with The Bank of New Canaan.

Mr. Lampert is the founder of and has been the managing member of the law firm of Lampert, Toohey & Rucci, LLC located in New Canaan, Connecticut, since its inception in 1993, where he is the head of the litigation department, representing banks and title companies in construction and real estate matters for over 30 years. From 1985 to 1987, Mr. Lampert was a stock broker with Series 7 and Series 63 licenses. He joined our Board of Directors in 2007 and served on the board of The Bank of New Canaan from its organization. Mr. Lampert also served on the board of directors of Waveny Health Care from 2012 to 2018 and was the Chairman from 2016 to 2018.

Mr. Demos brings more than 30 years of experience as a CEO, consultant to the banking industry and a technology and data executive of mid-sized and global technology companies. Mr. Demos advises a range of technology, FinTech and other financial services organizations on technology, cost, human capital, leadership and strategic issues. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Demos was an Executive Vice President for Curinos, a global provider of data technology to the financial services industry. Mr. Demos oversaw engineering, product management and client success areas, in addition to serving on the Executive Leadership Committee. Prior to Curinos, Mr. Demos spent 11 years as the General Manager (and a Board member) at Novantas, an industry leader in technology solutions and analytic advisory services for financial institutions. Prior to Novantas, he was the General Manager of Verint, a global technology and data company focused on customer engagement. He was a founder and CEO of Demos Solutions which was purchased by Verint in 2006. He began his career at KPMG, working as an auditor in the banking practice. Mr. Demos earned a B.A. from Williams College and an M.S. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and was a CPA while in the public accounting industry.

Ms. Kotval has been the Chief Executive Officer of Lifting Up Westchester, Inc., a nonprofit that provides community based services to Westchester County residents experiencing homelessness and hunger, since 2017. She began her career as a prosecutor for the Enforcement Division of the SEC and then spent 13 years at the Royal Bank of Scotland, ultimately serving as Managing Director and General Counsel of its investment bank in the Americas, RBS Greenwich Capital. She transitioned to the non-profit sector in 2011 as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Inspirica, Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut based nonprofit focused on serving the homeless. She was a director of OneMain Holdings, Inc., a public consumer finance company, from 2012 to 2018, serving as Chair of its Compliance Committee, and on its Audit and Governance Committees. She is currently on the Board of Non-profit Westchester and the Advisory Board of the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund, Inc. and has served on the boards of the Pro Bono Partnership, My Sister's Place, the Westchester Community Foundation, the Fairfield County Community Foundation, the Women's Bond Club of New York and the Legal and Compliance Division of the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association. Ms. Kotval received a B.S. magna cum laude in Applied Math and Economics from Brown University and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Mr. Seidman has served as Manager of Seidman and Associates, LLC and related investment groups located in Parsippany, New Jersey, the principal business of which includes investments in financial institutions since 1995. Mr. Seidman formerly served on the board of Stonegate Bank from January 2009 to September 2018, ASB Bancorp Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Asheville Savings Bank, from February 2016 to September 2018, Center Bancorp, Inc. from May 2007 to July 2014, Naugatuck Valley Financial Corporation from November 2014 to January 2016, MSB Financial Corp. and its banking subsidiary Millington Bank from July 2016 to July 2020. Mr. Seidman is a Trustee for Young Mens & Young Womens Hebrew Association.

Mr. Porto is an attorney and former Managing Principal in the law firm of Parrett, Porto, Parese & Colwell, Professional Corporation, from 1969 to 2018, with offices in Hamden, Bridgeport and Guilford. Mr. Porto was formerly on the boards of The Bank of New Haven, Start Bank (n/k/a New Haven Bank), Citizens Bank of Connecticut and Citizens Bank of Rhode Island. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the New Haven County Bar Association. He received a B.A. from Boston University and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Mr. Dunne is a Vice Chairman at CBRE, Inc. and oversees the New York Capital Markets team that sells income producing multi-family, office, retail and industrial assets. The team's business is largely transacted in the New York Region, although the group also sells portfolios throughout the United States. Mr. Dunne is active in various charity and community organizations and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, the Real Estate Advisory Board at Pennsylvania State University's Smeal School of Business and Bishop Caggiano's Real Estate Board. In 2012, Mr. Dunne was honored by the March of Dimes, receiving its annual Real Estate Award and in 2013, he received the Edward S. Gordon Award. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and holds an MBA from New York University.

Mr. Leitao is an attorney in private practice and a risk management advisor based in New Canaan, Connecticut. Since 2000, he has focused primarily on the integration of technology into the products and services offered by banks and other financial services companies, including regulatory compliance and information risk management advice on digital initiatives. Mr. Leitao's most recent in-house role was General Counsel of Hulett Bancorp and Summit National Bank which received approval from the OCC for new business activities involving FinTech platforms during his tenure. From 2018 to 2020, he served as General Counsel of WebBank, where he was also the executive owner of compliance and played a key role in managing lending platform relationships, product counseling, government relations and supporting business development. His compliance roles have included Associate General Counsel and Compliance Officer for SoftCard (the mobile wallet company), Managing Director and Senior Compliance Officer at TIAA and Chief Compliance Officer for the Merrill Lynch Global Bank Group. Mr. Leitao holds an A.B. from Brown University, a M.Phil. in Criminology from Cambridge University (as a Marshall Scholar) and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Mr. Brunner, joined the Company in August 2022 as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. He became the Chief Risk and Operations Officer in June 2023 and was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer in January 2024. From 2021 to July 2022, he served as Global Head of Financial Crimes at Wex, Inc. a global financial technology payments company. From 2012 to 2021, Mr. Brunner held multiple compliance and risk management positions at Sterling National Bank, serving as BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance & Security Officer from 2017 until the bank's merger with Webster Financial Bank. During his 9 years at Sterling National Bank, the bank grew its assets from $3 billion to over $30 billion. Prior thereto, Mr. Brunner held similar risk management roles at Ally Financial, Inc. (2011-2012) and AXA Equitable (2004-2011). Mr. Brunner earned his B.S. in Economic Crime Investigation, with a concentration in Computer Security from Utica University.

Ms. Chivily, age 67, joined the Company in April 2013. She has over 40 years of experience in banking and real estate finance. She previously served in a risk management role for the CRE and C&I loan portfolios at People's United Bank. Her prior experience also includes five years as Director of Freddie Mac's New England region for multifamily properties and 11 years as Senior Credit Officer at RBS Greenwich Capital. She also has over 10 years of combined experience in lending, loan administration and workouts at other various banking institutions. Ms. Chivily serves on the Board of Inspirica, Inc. Ms. Chivily received her B.A. from Mt. Holyoke College.

Ms. Sacchetti, joined the Company in January 2017 and served as Director of Financial Planning & Analysis for the Company through December 2022. She was appointed Executive Vice President and CFO of the Bank and Company effective January 1, 2023. Ms. Sacchetti has more than 20 years of experience in finance. Prior to her joining Bankwell, she spent 18 years at GE Capital, joining that company's Financial Management Program (FMP). Ms. Sacchetti serves on the Board of Trustees for Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, CT). She received her B.A. and MBA from Union College.

On January 24, 2024, the Board of Directors of Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. designated Angelo Fusaro, CPA, as principal accounting officer of both the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bankwell Bank. Mr. Fusaro, has served as Director of Accounting and Financial Planning & Analysis for the Company and the Bank since January 2023. Prior thereto, from 2018 to through 2022, he served as the Company's Director of Audit. From 2013 to 2018 he was Director of Accounting for Transamerica Leasing. He began his career at KPMG in 2007, serving in various positions during his six-year tenure, including Audit Manager.