National Exchange Bank & Trust Announces Leadership Changes
National Exchange Bank & Trust Chairman of the Board Peter Stone has announced that James Chatterton, president and COO, will retire from the bank after 35 years of service. Eric Stone, current CEO, will assume the president/CEO combined role.
Chatterton served as the chief executive officer of American Bank for 17 years, before becoming president of National Exchange Bank & Trust when the two banks merged in 2016. Chatterton was instrumental in the successful merger of the two banks, and is known for connecting with people — both customers and employees.
Eric Stone is currently the chief executive officer and vice chairman of the Board for National Exchange Bank & Trust and the president of NEB Corp., the holding company for National Exchange Bank & Trust. Stone has been with the bank since 1996. He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and completed the Graduate School of Banking from UW-Madison. He is active in the community as the Director of the National Exchange Bank Foundation; he also sits on the Board of Trustees for Marian University and the board of St. Mary’s Spring Academy. He was previously on the Board of Directors for Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts.
“Jim and Eric have worked side-by-side since the merger which provides for continuity of leadership as Jim transitions into retirement,” said Peter Stone. “The bank is financially strong, and we are well-positioned for the future. We thank Jim for the leadership he has provided over the last 35 years which has contributed to our position.”
The leadership transition is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023. With the transition, the following individuals will assume expanded leadership roles within the organization:
Nicole Wiese has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO). She will assume oversight responsibilities for retail banking and enterprise risk management/cybersecurity in addition to her current responsibilities which includes digital banking, marketing, security, facilities, and deposit operations. Wiese has played a key leadership role in the bank operations focused on the overall strategy and efficiencies of delivery systems, contributed to the safety of customers and employees while executing continuity of banking services during the Pandemic, and has focused significantly on people alignment and engagement. She rejoined the bank in 2003 after spending time with the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce.
Wiese earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an Advertising/Public Relations emphasis and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking in Madison and received her Executive Leadership Certificate from the Center for Professional & Executive Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
Wiese has served the local community through the board of directors of the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership, Fond du Lac Family YMCA, and Fond du Lac Area United Way. She is also a past member of the City of Fond du Lac Plan Commission. She currently is on the Board of Directors of Brooke Industries and the National Exchange Bank Foundation. She lives in Fond du Lac with her family.
Steve Holz has been promoted to chief lending officer (CLO). Holz joined the bank in March 1992, as a credit analyst. In 1994, he transitioned to commercial lending officer and was promoted numerous times before his most recent promotion to executive vice president in 2022. Throughout his time in commercial lending, Holz has worked with business owners to explore commercial loan solutions that best align with their business vision. His expanded role will include strategic growth of both the commercial and retail lending portfolio.
Holz grew up in Fond du Lac, where he attended Goodrich High School. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ripon College. Holz is also a graduate of the American Bankers’ Association (ABA) Commercial Lending Graduate School and the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Lending School.
Today, Holz resides in Fond du Lac with his family, where he is active in the community as a part of Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Revolving Loan Fund committee. He is also a past member of the board of directors and treasurer for the Fond du Lac chapter of the American Red Cross, past member of the board of directors and president of the Fond du Lac Economic Development Corporation and board member of Cardinal Athletic Alumni Association.
Tami Christian has been named chief people officer (CPO) and will continue to lead the human resource function. She will also join the Board of the National Exchange Bank Foundation. Christian joined National Exchange Bank & Trust in January 2015, with more than 25 years of human resources professional experience. She has expanded the HR team and led them through the merger of two financial institutions and several acquisitions, while continuing to set the bank’s people strategy. She played a key role in crisis management throughout the recent pandemic, while working with her team to optimize benefit offerings, implement telecommuting, enhance talent management, and improve employee engagement.
Christian received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Marian University as well as a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Quality. Christian and her husband, Mike, live in Fond du Lac. Christian serves on the Customer Experience Program Advisory Committee for UW-Parkside, several HR roundtables, and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. She is a past Marian Alumni board member and past City of Fond du Lac Police & Fire Commissioner.
