Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> September 12, 2002
EDWARD WEHMER is a long time Lake Forest resident where he lives
with his wife, Dorothy, and their six children. Since May 1998,
he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Wintrust Financial Corporation, a $3.2 billion dollar financial
holding company. Prior to May 1998, he served as President &
Chief Operating Officer of the Company since its formation in
1996. He served as President of Lake Forest Bank, a subsidiary of
Wintrust from 1991 to 1998 and was one of the principal
organizers of each of the company's banking subsidiaries. He has
served as Chairman or Vice Chairman and a Director of each
Wintrust's subsidiaries. Prior to joining the Company, he was
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of
River Forest Bancorp, Inc. (now known as Corus Bankshares, Inc.),
Chicago, Illinois and president of its largest bank subsidiary,
Lincoln National Bank. Earlier in his career Mr. Wehmer spent
seven years with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP
specializing in the banking field and particularly in the area of
bank mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Wehmer is a 1976 graduate of
Georgetown University and is a Certified Public Accountant. He
serves on the Finance Committee for St. Mary's Parish in Lake
Forest and is a board member of the Lake Forest Caucus. Mr.
Wehmer is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago
Club, the Knollwood Club in Lake Forest and Dairymen's Country
Club in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin. Profile
DAVID A. DYKSTRA has held the position of Chief Financial Officer
since 1995 and Chief Operating officer since 2002. He also
currently serves as the Company's Secretary and Treasurer. He
oversees all of the financial affairs of Wintrust Financial
Corporation, including internal and external financial reporting,
capital planning, merger and acquisition planning, and other
corporate financial matters. Mr. Dykstra is a Director of a
number of the Company's subsidiaries. Prior to this position,
from 1990 to 1995, Mr. Dykstra was employed by River Forest
Bancorp, Inc. in Chicago. He served as that company's Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer from 1992 to 1995 and as
the Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from 1990 to
1992. Before joining River Forest Bancorp, Inc., Mr. Dykstra
served seven years with KPMG LLP, most recently holding the
position of Audit Manager in the Financial Institutions practice
of the firm. Mr. Dykstra, a graduate of Drake University, is also
a Certified Public Accountant. He and his family are residents of
Lake Villa, Illinois. He is active in community affairs. Profile
TWST: Could we begin with a sketch of some of the highlights inthe history of Wintrust Financial Corp. and then bring us up to
date with a picture of things as they are now?
Mr. Wehmer: It's