Heritage Bank of Commerce (the “Bank”), a subsidiary of Heritage Commerce Corp (Nasdaq: HTBK), today announced the appointment of Jan Coonley, SPHR, as Executive Vice President, Chief People and Diversity Officer, effective immediately.

With 20 years of experience in Human Resources (“HR”) for the financial services industry, Ms. Coonley will be responsible for overseeing the HR organization and driving people initiatives to cultivate an inclusive culture that supports the Bank’s mission to be the premier community business bank in the San Francisco Bay Area. She will focus on all aspects of HR including compensation and benefits management, talent acquisition, leadership development strategies, enhancing the employee experience, and expanding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (“DEIB”) efforts.

“With Jan's track record of leadership in organizational and cultural transformation and DEIB, adding her to our executive management team exemplifies the Bank’s commitment to finding, developing and advancing our most important asset, our people,” said Walter Kaczmarek, President and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Commerce Corp and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce. "Her extensive HR and business line knowledge in the financial services industry makes her the ideal person to lead this key strategic function."

Prior to joining Heritage Bank of Commerce, Ms. Coonley was head of culture and DEI for JP Morgan Chase & Co’s consumer bank. She previously held a progression of roles at U.S. Bank, culminating as VP of Strategy and Transformation. Ms. Coonley has served in a variety of advisory and board roles in Southern California, including serving on the Chinatown Service Center Board and Step-Up Board of Directors. Ms. Coonley holds a B.A. Degree in International Relations from the University of California, Davis and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®) designation.