As a dynamic banker with over 35 years of experience, including as a senior level federal bank regulator and a C-Suite bank executive, Virginia Varela has served in a broad range of diverse professional capacities. Currently, Virginia is an Officer and President of SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi”), and Head of Community Banking. SoFi, a large fast growing global FinTech company that became a unique national bank charter in 2022, offers expansive leading edge digitalized financial products and services to over 7 million customers. Virginia was the President, CEO, and Director of Golden Pacific Bank for eight years. Golden Pacific Bancorp was acquired by SoFi Technology, Inc. in February 2022 after a national search for a merger partner. Virginia led the negotiations for this internationally recognized transaction on behalf of Golden Pacific shareholders. Golden Pacific Bank co-founded a fully automated SBA lending platform and in 2014 was the largest preferred lender of SBA 7(a) loans under $25,000 in the nation, originating more than 20% of the US market that year. The bank was recognized by the American Bankers Association (ABA) with a “Nontraditional Borrower and Underbanked National Service Award” for its innovative online small business lending program, especially supporting minority and women owned businesses. In 2018, Golden Pacific Bank was the fifth most profitable bank in California measured by ROAA. Virginia previously served as the President and CEO of Bank of Rio Vista, Chief Operating Officer of Bank of the Orient (overseeing branches in California, Hawaii, and Xiamen, China) and President of San Luis Trust Bank. Her experience includes as a regulatory supervisor overseeing examination departments and drafting regulatory policy with the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Federal Reserve. In 2020, Virginia won recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” by the Sacramento Business Journal, a “Follow Her Lead” award in 2020 from Comstock’s magazine, listed on the “Power of 300—One of Sacramento Region’s Most Powerful Business Executives” in 2019 by Sacramento Magazine, and honored as a “Women Who Mean Business” in 2017 from the Sacramento Business Journal.