Chris Blake

Chris Blake is Vice Chairman for Banc of California. He provides strategic guidance and advice to the bank’s leadership and board, and he supports key initiatives to advance the bank’s mission and growth.

Mr. Blake is an established banker with more than 40 years of experience across many areas of bank operations and sales. Before joining Banc of California in November 2023, he served in several executive roles at PacWest Bancorp, including as President and CEO of the Community Banking Division, President of the Eastern Region, and Executive Vice President, Human Resources Director.

Mr. Blake is also a Director at California Domestic Water Company (CDWC) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Cadway, Inc. CDWC is a nonprofit mutual water company based in Whittier, California, that provides shareholders and customers a reliable, local resource of water that eliminates or significantly reduces the need to purchase more expensive imported water from Northern California or the Colorado River.

Mr. Blake earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from San Diego State University and his law degree from Western State University College of Law in Irvine, California. He is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.