Financial Institutions Executive and Leadership Team

Bette McCartney, the Chief Financial Officer at Financial Institutions, manages the company's comprehensive financial strategy and fiscal operations. McCartney's responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and reporting for the holding company and its subsidiaries, Five Star Bank and Courier Capital, LLC. This critical role involves ensuring robust financial health and driving profitable growth across diverse customer segments, including consumer, business, municipal, healthcare, not-for-profit, and fintech clients. Bette McCartney directs capital allocation strategies, manages investor relations, and ensures compliance with all regulatory financial requirements within the banking and investment management sectors. The Chief Financial Officer plays a key part in evaluating new business opportunities and strategic investments, particularly in expanding digital banking services and BaaS offerings. McCartney's leadership ensures financial transparency and resilience, supporting the company's ambitious growth objectives and its commitment to shareholder value. The financial acumen provided by Bette McCartney is essential for navigating the complex economic landscape and maintaining the company's strong market position.

Richard Simpson, the Chief Operating Officer at Financial Institutions, directs the day-to-day operations across the company's diverse subsidiaries, including Five Star Bank and Courier Capital, LLC. Simpson's oversight encompasses the strategic execution of banking and lending services, ensuring efficient delivery to consumer, business, municipal, healthcare, not-for-profit, and fintech customers. This leadership role involves optimizing operational workflows to support the company's expansion into Western and Central New York, as well as its Mid-Atlantic commercial loan production office serving the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region. Richard Simpson also drives the integration of digital investments to enhance Banking-as-a-Service offerings for fintech partners. The Chief Operating Officer ensures seamless collaboration between banking and investment management divisions, aligning operational strategies with the company's HEART values of being humble, empowered, ambitious, resilient, and transparent. Simpson's focus remains on maintaining operational excellence and fostering a customer-centric approach that underpins the company's long-standing legacy.

Ang Yullius, the Chief Operating Officer & Director at Financial Institutions, provides dual leadership across operational execution and strategic board-level guidance. Yullius's operational responsibilities focus on optimizing the delivery of consumer and commercial banking and lending services through Five Star Bank's network, spanning Western and Central New York, and its Mid-Atlantic commercial loan production office. This involves ensuring operational efficiency and customer satisfaction for a diverse clientele, including businesses, municipalities, and individuals. As a Director, Ang Yullius contributes to high-level corporate governance, strategic planning, and risk oversight, ensuring alignment with the company's HEART values and long-term objectives. Yullius's role integrates operational insights with strategic decision-making, driving initiatives that enhance the company's market presence and financial performance. The combined focus on operational excellence and directorial oversight ensures that the company's strategic direction is effectively translated into tangible business outcomes, supporting both immediate operational needs and future growth trajectories for Financial Institutions.

Ashley Harmon, the Chief Information Officer at Financial Institutions, leads the company's technology strategy and digital transformation initiatives. Harmon's purview includes all information technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, data management, and the development of innovative digital solutions across Five Star Bank and Courier Capital, LLC. This role is pivotal in enhancing the customer experience through advanced digital platforms and ensuring the secure and efficient delivery of financial services to a broad client base, encompassing consumer, business, municipal, healthcare, not-for-profit, and fintech sectors. Ashley Harmon drives the ongoing digital investments that underpin the company's Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings, enabling fintech and non-bank financial customers to leverage Financial Institutions' technological capabilities. The Chief Information Officer ensures robust IT governance, manages technology risk, and fosters a culture of innovation within the IT department. Harmon's strategic vision is crucial for maintaining competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving financial technology landscape, supporting the company's ambitious goals for digital expansion and operational resilience.