San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, acquired by Merrill Lynch for $1.8 billion this month, announced that chief executive Jim Herbert has been appointed to the additional role of chairman and chief operating officer Katherine August-deWilde has been appointed president. She was previously executive vice president of First Republic. The duo have led First Republic from a single office San Francisco office in 1985 to more than 45 offices on the East and West Coasts, with banking, loan servicing and assets under management of more than $34 billion. First Republic Bank is a private bank and wealth management company offering personal banking, business banking, trust, brokerage and wealth management services. It is now a division of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Company, FSB.