One of the nation’s biggest commercial banking organizations – with more than 200 team members and 14 locations in five Southern California counties – is poised to grow Wells Fargo’s business from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Heading the company’s new Southern California Commercial Banking Division is John P. Manning, a 25-year banking veteran and Wells Fargo executive vice president.

In his new role, Manning overseas Wells Fargo Commercial Banking in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura – a territory where more middle market businesses cluster than in any U.S. region. With an expanding team of local relationship managers, business development officers, and professional staff, the Southern California division includes offices in Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Woodland Hills, Pasadena, West Covina, Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles, Century City, Long Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Carlsbad and San Diego.

“We were able to increase our commitments in Southern California during an economic downturn with the strength of Wells Fargo’s balance sheet and the depth of Wells Fargo’s product offering,” said Manning. “Now, as the economy improves, our expanding network of local offices and local decision-makers will enable our customers and potential customers to take advantage of new opportunities. It’s an exciting time and place to be in business.”

Reflecting the region’s diversity, Wells Fargo’s Southern California Commercial Banking team includes 47 percent women and 49 percent diverse team members, respectively. And earlier this year, Wells Fargo launched a Korean Banking Division, based in Los Angeles.

Over the past three years in Southern California, Wells Fargo Commercial Banking has posted a 70 percent gain in business and a 25 percent increase in team members, including relationship managers, business development officers, and professional staff. Customers in the region represent a broad range of middle market companies in a wide range of industries such as asset management, aerospace, defense, retail and real estate to emerging businesses in technology, energy, and health care.

Previously, Manning was head of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking for Greater Los Angeles. Since 2009, he grew business with local middle market customers by more than 50 percent, expanded the number of local commercial banking offices from four to seven, built a diverse team, and added 60 jobs.

With more than 25 years of banking experience, Manning joined Wells Fargo in 1994 as a Commercial Banking relationship manager in the Greater Los Angeles division. He has progressed through the organization in a number of leadership positions.

Manning earned his B.A. degree in finance from Rutgers University. He is a member of the Corporate Advisory Board for the USC Marshall School of Business, and he is a trustee of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

About Wells Fargo Commercial Banking

With 110 offices across the U.S., Wells Fargo Commercial Banking is the country’s No. 1 lender to middle market businesses with annual sales above $20 million. In addition to providing a world-class customer experience for our clients, Wells Fargo Commercial Bankers are also committed to being good citizens, from charitable giving to volunteering to public service.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2012 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially.

Editors: Photo available upon request