California-based bank taps ex-U.S. Trust divisional manager for growth push. Los Angeles-based City National Bank has hired former U.S. Trust executive Michael Dowling to lead its personal-trust division and supervise of all account administration for trust clients in its business-banking footprint in several large Californian markets and in Nevada. The appointment is part of a campaign to bring more personal-trust business to the bank.

"We are very excited that Mike has joined us," says City National's CIO Richard Weiss. "He comes with an extensive background in the personal trust arena, including a proven ability to foster and manage growth."

A leap

Dowling has spent most of the past six years as a division trust executive at U.S. Trust in San Francisco. In addition to overall leadership and management of fiduciary services for across a six-state region, he oversaw 72 associates and approximately $24 billion in accounts under management.

In 2003, Dowling joined U.S. Trust from Bank of America, where he was a national trust services executive for Bank of America in Dallas with oversight for the bank's trust centers in that city, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Bank of America's 2007 acquisition brought Dowling back to that institution.

Bank of America is in the process of acquiring Merrill Lynch.

Dowling says he leapt at the chance to join City National's "outstanding management team" because of the bank's "commitment to client service."

City National provides banking, investment and trust services through 62 offices in southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, Nevada and New York City. The bank and its affiliates manage or administer nearly $52.4 billion in client investment assets, including $33 billion under direct management. -FWR

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