It’s Official---It is Not “Van Etten Leasing”

                      It’sssssssssssssss : -)  SilverMark Capital ! ! !

Otherwise Leasing News named it right a month in advance, including

Sterling Bank and the major players.  Here is the official press release:

### Press Release ###########################################

Sterling Bank Recruits Executives to Launch

New Equipment Leasing Division

HOUSTON—Sterling Bank, a subsidiary of Sterling Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBIB), announced today the hiring of four leading professionals in the field of business equipment leasing.  These experienced professionals represent the bank’s initial staff in the leasing and equipment-financing division it is developing. 

This new division of the bank will be called SilverMark Capital™ and will provide equipment-leasing services to bank customers and to select national vendor relationships.

“Offering an in-house business equipment leasing program is a logical step in providing full-service banking to our customers,” commented Sterling Bank President and Chief Executive Officer J. Downey Bridgwater.  “Our philosophy is that to be the best, you get the best people.  That’s why we’re proud to bring aboard these four professionals.  In our opinion they represent the industry’s best in the field of commercial leasing services.”

The four leasing professionals are Frederick M. Van Etten, Richard S. Andersen, Daniel L. Fritz, and Hernan R. Traversone.

·Fred Van Etten, named CEO of the leasing division, has over 25 years’ experience in the commercial leasing and asset-financing marketplace. Most notably he was co-founder, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for First Sierra Financial, a successful company which was sold to American Express in 2001.  He holds a business administration degree from Arizona State University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Ric Andersen, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the leasing division, was director of vendor services and capital markets for American Express Business Finance, Inc., and directed portfolio acquisition and syndication there.  He began his banking career while completing a BA in economics and finance at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he became president and CEO of the student credit union.  He has over 15 years’ experience in finance and commercial leasing.

·Danny Fritz, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the leasing division, previously served as global business development manager for Hewlett Packard Financial Services, Inc., where he was responsible for portfolio management, business strategies, pricing, policies and procedures, as well as global marketing of lifecycle management programs.  He has 15 years of experience in the leasing industry and holds a BA in finance from the University of Texas.

·Hernan Traversone, senior vice president and chief credit officer for the division, previously served as director of originations for the Houston credit operation of American Express Business Finance, Inc.  Prior to that he was vice president of wholesale operations for First Sierra Financial, Inc., where he also oversaw credit, documentation, and funding procedures. He has over 11 years of experience in consumer and commercial underwriting.

Earlier this year, Sterling Bank was named to FORTUNE Magazine’s 2003 List of the 100 Best Places to Work in America.  With assets of $3.4 billion, it operates 35 banking offices in the greater metro areas of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.  Sterling Bank is a subsidiary of Sterling Bancshares, Inc., whose common stock is traded through the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol SBIB. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.banksterling.com.

Featured on Leasing News 8/20/03