On June 6, Dallas-based Comerica Inc. announced the appointment of James Johnson as senior vice president/director, retail risk management and operations, and Theresa Bazan as senior vice president/director, sales enablement. Both will report to Cassandra McKinney, executive vice president/executive director, retail bank.
“We are thrilled to add James and Theresa to our retail leadership team,” McKinney says. “The retail banking landscape continues to evolve, and through their leadership and expertise we can further enhance the deep alignment of our operational initiatives to meet the growing demands of our business.”
Johnson will be responsible for the oversight of risk management processes and controls across the retail bank. He will also serve as the strategic leader for operational and execution initiatives. With a career that spans more than 15 years, Johnson brings extensive experience in developing risk and operational strategies. In his most recent role as vice president/head of digital risk and operations, digital channels for First Republic Bank, he led programs to identify, measure and mitigate risk, while providing sound solutions for secure delivery of digital banking products and services. Prior to First Republic Bank, he also served in risk management roles at Prosper Marketplace, Bank of the West and the FDIC.
Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina and master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. He also earned his graduate certificate in banking from the University of Washington. Johnson holds designations as a Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC); Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE); Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA); and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP).
Bazan enters the newly established position of senior vice president/director, sales enablement after serving as the senior vice president/regional director for Central/South Texas regional director for 15 years. In her prior role, she led Comerica Bank’s key Central and South Texas markets, which include Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Kerrville. In her new role, Bazan will work to enhance the effective delivery of solutions for small business and consumer customers by developing strategies, processes and support tools for bankers to achieve their goals and objectives.
Bazan is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. She is an active member of the community, serving as president of Dress for Success Houston, Women’s Corporate Guild. She is also a Vincentian with the St. Vincent De Paul Society, through which she provides financial support for and assesses the needs of individuals.
Established in 1849, Comerica Bank operates in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
