Golden State Bank 
Mercedes N. Herrera, holding the role of President and Chief Executive Officer at Golden State Bank, has built a strong reputation in the banking industry. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance, Real Estate, and Law from California State University, Long Beach, Mercedes started her career as an Examiner at the Office of Thrift Supervision.
Subsequently, she joined Axos Bank (formerly Bank of Internet Federal Bank), where she held significant roles as Vice President, Portfolio Monitoring, and Vice President, Internal Asset Review Manager. Here, she focused on formulating effective strategies for real estate portfolio management.
Her career then took her to Universal Bank, where she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. Her primary responsibilities included enhancing the quality of earnings through stringent credit policy enforcement and oversight.
In 2018, Mercedes joined Golden State Bank as Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. Since then, she has ascended to her current roles of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Golden State Bancorp . Moreover, Mercedes sits on both, highlighting her integral role within the organization.
Throughout her career, Mercedes has been an active participant in numerous management and board level committees, including the Internal Asset Review Board Committee, Special Assets Committee, Asset-Liability Committee, Delinquent Assets Committee, IT Steering Committee, BSA and SARS Committee, and Audit Committee. Her consistent professionalism and significant contributions in the field of finance foster a positive work environment and guide Golden State Bank towards sustained success.