Green Bay, Wis.-based Associated Banc-Corp appointed Kristen Ludgate and Owen Sullivan to its board of directors. Associated Bank hired Heath Sorenson as executive vice president and managing director of Associated Trust Co. and Steven Zandpour as Associated Bank EVP, deputy head of consumer and business banking.
Ludgate, 62, is chief people officer at global personal computing provider HP Inc. She was chief human resources officer for 3M Co. from 2018-21, and had multiple legal and executive positions over her more than 15 years at the company.
Sullivan, 67, was president and chief operating officer for digital banking provider NCR from 2018 until he retired last year. He was previously an independent consultant who provided strategic planning, and executive mentoring for private equity companies and other investor groups.
“Kristen and Owen bring extraordinary talent and experience to our board,” said President and CEO Andy Harmening. “The breadth and depth of their knowledge will benefit Associated as we continue to execute our strategic growth plans.”
Sorenson is expected to take on the additional role of Associated Trust CEO on Feb. 1. Current CEO and EVP John Thayer will transition into an EVP and senior leadership adviser.
Sorenson has more than 25 years of experience, most recently as chief operating officer of Midland Wealth Management and Midland Wealth Advisor while being president of Midland Trust Co. Sorenson’s “deep wealth management experience and talents strengthen our ability to grow through enhanced client experience, sales, operational efficiency and high-performance teambuilding,” said Associated Private Wealth President Jayne Hladio.
Thayer joined Associated Bank in 2000 as chief investment officer, and became head of private wealth in 2021. He is credited with unifying previously separate businesses into a single wealth management entity.
Zandpour joined the $42 billion Associated Bank in January 2024 to focus on consumer and small business growth across the bank’s metropolitan areas while leading its network of branches and contact centers. He most recently served as U.S. head of speciality sales at BMO in Chicago. Before that, Zandpour spent 14 years in leadership at Fifth Third Bank.
Zandpour’s “people-first leadership style and dedication to colleagues and customers has helped us grow our business and improve our customer experience,” said Head of Consumer and Business Banking David Stein. “By expanding Steve’s role to encompass all revenue sources in our line of business, he will expand his impact on delivering additional product and service enhancements to meet the needs of our customers across our footprint.”