SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West Commercial Banking Group announced today that Perry DeLuca and Peter Hsu, both managing directors, and Tony Bowker, director of business development, have joined the Beverage Group (formerly the Wine and Beverage Group), a specialized unit of the Agribusiness Division within the Commercial Banking Group. DeLuca, Hsu, and Bowker will report to Adam Beak, Managing Director and head of the Beverage Group.

"In the past year, Bank of the West has strategically built on the success of our wine business by expanding into the beer and spirits sectors," said Jean-Marc Torre, head of the Commercial Banking Group. "We've more than doubled the size of our Beverage Group and, in bringing Perry DeLuca, Peter Hsu, and Tony Bowker aboard, we are even better equipped to offer our clients experienced perspectives and smart solutions from people who know the industry incredibly well." 

DeLuca will divide his time between business development and supporting relationships with current wine clients. He will also focus on further advancing the bank's advisory activities in the wine sector. Hsu's role will leverage his deep banking management background to help effectively channel the team's resources through a period of continued growth. Bowker will focus on building relationships with breweries, distributors, and beer clients to identify and support their business banking needs.  

"Talented, experienced bankers like Perry, Peter, and a business development professional like Tony will provide our clients with truly differentiating levels of expertise and insights about this business," Adam Beak remarked. "Perry's roots in the wine world go back for generations, and he has long-standing relationships with people across the industry. Peter is as strong with clients as he is at managing teams, and his contributions will provide a strong foundation of support as we pursue increasing opportunities across the sector. And, Tony's knowledge and depth of expertise in working with and providing guidance to those in the beer industry will help grow this segment of our Beverage Group." 

Prior to joining Bank of the West, DeLuca was a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank, where he led their Wine, Food & Beverage practice in the Western Division.  Before that, he worked at Key Banc Capital Markets as Director/Consumer Banking National Head of Wine & Spirits. He holds degrees from the University of California at Berkeley (MBA), Johns Hopkins University (Master of International Relations) and Georgetown University (BA in Government).

Previously, Hsu spent more than 18 years with Wells Fargo Bank, where he held roles including Regional Operating Officer and Loan Team Manager for their San Francisco Commercial Banking Office. Most recently, he was Regional Team Lead of their North Coast Regional Commercial Banking Office. Hsu graduated with honors from the University of California at Davis with a degree in International Relations, Economics and a Minor in Chinese.

Most recently as president of Virtue Holdings, LLC, Bowker oversaw the acquisition and integration of operations of the company by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to Virtue Holdings, Bowker was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer with Goose Island Beer Company. Bowker has served on the Anheuser-Busch InBev Craft Advisory Board, has a certificate from the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology, holds an MBA  degree from the University of Southern California, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.         

Bank of the West's Beverage Group covers almost every leg of the industry's value chain, from large international players and boutique wineries to cork-and-capsule manufacturers and distributors of the final product. Bank of the West is the third largest commercial bank lender to agriculture in the U.S.¹ and was named Best Commercial Bank 2016 by World Finance Magazine.

About Bank of the West's Commercial Banking Group
Bank of the West's Commercial Banking Group (CBG) meets the rapidly changing needs of growing businesses with annual revenues of $25 million and higher. CBG helps businesses achieve their unique visions by delivering smart and comprehensive solutions that fuel sustainable growth. With specialized sector expertise, CBG anticipates and tackles the challenges businesses face in industries including agriculture, healthcare, commercial real estate, religious institutions, and technology. CBG offers clients the best of both worlds: the personalized relationships and community ties of a local bank backed by the international capabilities of BNP Paribas, one of the world's strongest financial groups.

About Bank of the West
Bank of the West is a regional financial services company headquartered in San Francisco with $80.7 billion in assets as of June 30, 2016. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 branches and offices in 23 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with more than 189,000 employees. To learn more about Bank of the West, visit About Us.

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¹ Source: America Banker Association data, 2016.

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SOURCE Bank of the West’s Commercial Banking Group