United Bankers Names New CEO
August 14, 2019 Bloomington, MN Dwight R. Larsen, with more than 30-plus years of experience in bank management, regulatory affairs and education, will become the new CEO and President of United Bankers’ Bank (UBB) and its holding company, United Bankers’ Bancorporation, Inc. (UBBI), according to an announcement by the bank’s Board of Directors.
“Dwight is an outstanding fit for UBB’s culture of product excellence and customer service – not only for the UBB we see today but also for where we believe the bank must go to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” said Bryan Grove, Chairman of the UBB Board and President of American State Bank in Grygla, Minn. “He has built his career on the highest levels of integrity, an openness to new ideas and opportunity for others, and outstanding communication skills.”
Larsen, 56, will be the third president to take the helm at UBB since it was founded in 1975 as the nation’s first bankers’ bank providing correspondent services exclusively to independent community banks. The appointment culminates an extensive national search to replace William Rosacker, who retired in April after leading UBB for 34 years.
“This is an incredible honor and exciting opportunity for me to lead the finest correspondent banking team in the nation,” Larsen said. “Right from its inception as America’s first bankers’ bank, UBB has led the way with so many product, service and technology innovations. Not only do I intend to continue that tradition,” Larsen said, “my goal is to take UBB even further and become the nation’s premier bankers’ bank.”
Larsen is already a familiar name and face to many in the banking community. He held several positions at UBB from 2000 to 2016, including roles overseeing compliance services, trust services, HR consulting services and the stock valuation services of BankValue Advisory Services. Under Larsen’s direction, BankValue expanded its bank stock valuations, market analysis, and merger and acquisition consulting service to customers throughout UBB’s 15-state market area. Dwight was also the chair of UBB’s Asset Liability Management and Enterprise Risk Management committees.
From 1986 to 2000, and again for the past two years, Larsen has served as a national bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). There he built extensive knowledge in risk management and effective corporate governance, working with banks of every size and with every level of management and operations.
Students and faculty of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin – Madison also know Larsen as a faculty member since 1998. In addition to teaching, Larsen is a member of the Curriculum Advisory Committee and a former faculty representative to the Board of Trustees.
Larsen will dedicate his first 30 days on the job, which officially starts on Monday, Aug. 26, to “listening, listening and listening again,” he said, “including a series of meetings with staff and executive leadership at UBB, our Board of Directors, our customers and community bank leadership.
“I’m following a tremendous legacy in Bill Rosacker,” Larsen added. “He and an exceptional group of talented and dedicated people have made UBB what it is today. The bank is in excellent financial condition, offers a wide range of products and services, and serves customers across a broad swath of the U.S., stretching from the West Coast to the Great Lakes. I look forward to being part of the next great chapter in the success story of UBB and the community banks we serve,” he concluded.