FULLERTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California United Bank (“CUB” or “the Company”), a subsidiary of CU Bancorp (NASDAQ: CUNB), today announced that Stephen Pihl, executive vice president, and three members of his team from CUB’s Anaheim branch—representing four generations of bankers with more than 60 years of experience among them—participated in a panel at the Mihaylo Leadership Academy at the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics (MCBE) at California State University Fullerton (CSUF), on Sept. 5, 2013. Pihl’s team presented an in-depth look at the importance of mentoring in the workplace and offered students insights based on team members’ first-hand experiences as mentors and mentees.
The panel discussed the dynamics of the mentor-mentee relationship, the personal and professional attributes needed to be a good mentor or mentee, and the difficulty both parties have in finding each other. “Typically, a mentor is someone within an organization that has the skills and knowledge a mentee needs, as well as the time and willingness to help the mentee achieve their goals,” said Pihl. “But at a fundamental level mentoring is about helping others, and we can help others in a 360 degree circle: those above and below us, our peers and our customers.”
“Stephen and his team offered students an insightful look at mentoring relationships and their importance in the workplace. Their insights will help ready our MBA students to integrate into organizations and become effective leaders when they graduate. We were delighted to have them at the Academy,” said Lori Muse, Ph.D., and holder of the Rick Muth Endowed Chair in Family Business at MCBE.
Pihl, a member of the Dean’s Executive Council Advisory Board of MCBE, has more than 30 years of banking experience. Panel members from his team included: Brent Walters, a CUB vice president and relationship manager with 20 years of industry experience; Steve Corona, CUB vice president and relationship manager with 10 years of banking experience; and Edgar Diaz-Serna, credit analyst and current CSUF student, hired by CUB in 2012.
The Mihaylo Leadership Academy is a unique feature of the MCBE Full-time MBA Program, offering key seminars on career development and management.
About CU Bancorp and California United Bank
CU Bancorp is the parent of California United Bank which was founded in 2005 and is the largest independent bank headquartered in the San Fernando Valley. California United Bank provides a full range of financial services, including credit and deposit products, cash management, and internet banking to businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs, professionals and investors throughout Southern California from offices in the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, the Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Los Angeles, South Bay, and Orange County. To view CU Bancorp’s most recent financial information, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site. Information on products and services may be obtained by calling (818) 257-7700 or visiting the Bank’s Web site at www.cunb.com.
