Green Bay, Wis.-based Nicolet Bankshares Co-Founder Robert Atwell will step down as executive chair of the board on Jan. 1 while remaining director.
The board is expected to elect Nicolet President and CEO Mike Daniels chair of the board. Atwell and Daniels co-founded Nicolet in November 2000, growing it from a de novo bank to the second-largest bank headquartered in Wisconsin. Today, the $8.5 billion bank has 56 branches and more than 1,000 employees.
Atwell, who has served as chair of the board since Nicolet was founded, was chair, president and CEO until April 2021, when he was appointed executive chair.
“It’s been an honor and a wonderful adventure to participate with Mike and our colleagues, customers and investors these first 23 years of Nicolet, and I have total confidence in Mike’s ability to lead the board,” Atwell said.
Daniels called Atwell “a partner, mentor and friend for over 35 years. Bob’s legacy as a great banker, an outstanding executive, an adamant supporter of the communities we serve, and a successful entrepreneur is a testament to his character. Bob’s real strength is his ability to combine his strategic mind with his caring heart. His passion for community banking specifically and the communities in general will be felt for generations to come.”