Brendon Riley, senior vice president of Commercial Banking for Wells Fargo in Houston (Photo: Business …

To help Houston companies balance slumping energy prices and the city’s fast growth, Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) has named company veteran Brendon Riley to its Houston  Commercial Banking leadership team as senior vice president.

In his new role, Riley is responsible for local credit decisions and risk management, plus management and development of Commercial Banking’s local team of financial analysts. He brings 14 years of banking experience with large, complex customer relationships to the Houston team. Riley previously served in Wells Fargo’s Phoenix Regional Commercial Banking Office (RCBO) as well as in its Investment Banking division. He also worked as an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board.

“Because of the complexity and breadth of the Houston market, it’s important for us to have experienced bankers like Brendon to advise and make credit decisions for our Houston customers,” said Rosine Matthews, regional vice president of Commercial Banking for Wells Fargo in Houston. More than 90 percent of credit decisions for area customers are made by the bank’s local leaders, she added. “Brendon’s leadership will be invaluable in helping local middle-market companies succeed financially during the current market’s challenges.”

To meet the needs of midsize businesses throughout Houston – America’s second-fastest growing city –Wells Fargo has invested in the local business community by establishing three full-service RCBOs since 2000: downtown, in the heart of the Central Business District; West Houston, in the rapidly expanding Energy Corridor; and North Houston, in the vibrant Woodlands Town Center.

Thanks chiefly to a more-diverse business base in Houston today, compared with the 1980s and ‘90s, low energy prices shouldn’t entirely upend the region’s economic momentum of the past few years, says recent 2015 Economic Outlookby Wells Fargo for Southern States. Still, middle-market companies in Houston are facing unique challenges and opportunities.

Riley said he welcomes the opportunity to help privately held middle market companies in Houston achieve their financial goals in any economic cycle.

"Unlike the past, Houston’s economy is not exclusively dependent on the energy industry to drive growth and performance," Riley said. "Wells Fargo serves a diverse range of midsize companies that keep the local economy afloat by investing in their businesses, hiring employees, and expanding their markets."

Riley holds a MBA in finance from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. He also earned a bachelor’s in economics from University of Michigan. Before moving to Houston, Riley served on the boards of the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix and the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce.

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