John Sikora has been named chief financial officer of Bremer Bank, St. Paul, Minn. He takes on the role from Mitch Bleske, who has split his time serving as both CFO and chief operating officer for several months. Bleske will now focus on serving as Bremer’s full-time COO.
After joining Bremer in 2017, Sikora has served as director of accounting, tax and reporting since December 2018. Prior to that, he was a senior manager in the banking and capital markets assurance practice at Ernst & Young. He has more than 15 years of experience in and around the financial services industry.
He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, risk management and insurance from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.
“Bremer’s industry and our customers are transforming – and so are we,” said President and CEO Jeanne Crain. “Throughout his time at Bremer, John has demonstrated both exceptional financial expertise and skills and an innate ability to be an effective leader. These are the exact qualities we need as Bremer strategically moves forward, positioning ourselves for ongoing growth.”
Bleske had been CFO since joining the $16 billion Bremer in 2013. Previously, he was treasurer and executive committee member at Trustmark National Bank in Jackson, Miss. Previously, he spent time at United Community Banks, Blairsville, Ga., and U.S. Bank, Minneapolis. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul.