Executive Team
William A. Mitchell Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bill has been the president and chief executive officer of BBW since 2007. Earlier in his three-decade banking career, he was the president of two other community banks and a branch manager for a national financial services firm. Bill served on the governor-appointed Colorado State Banking Board for 16 years, including two years as chairman. An active proponent of the nation’s community banks and the industry associations that support them, he is a current member of the Pacific Bankers Management Institute Board and a participant on the American Bankers Association correspondent bank working group. He served as board chairman of the Western States Director Education Foundation before assuming his current role as that organization’s secretary/treasurer. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in management and organization from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Anne Benigsen
SVP–Chief Information Officer & Chief Information Security Officer
Anne draws on nearly 30 years of experience in the fields of technology, cybersecurity and compliance to ensure the bank’s strategic goals are accomplished effectively. In 2020, she became president of CivITas Bank Solutions, a BBW affiliate that aids community banks with their IT and cybersecurity needs. Before joining BBW, Anne worked in the private and public sectors accruing a broad and deep base of knowledge in her chosen fields. She is a certified information systems security professional in addition to other certifications, and she frequently speaks on information security for both the banking and security industries. Her bachelor’s degree is from Bryn Mawr College.
Jeff Benson
SVP & Chief Operating Officer
In his current role at Bankers’ Bank of the West, Jeff orchestrates new product development and directs all strategic initiatives for the organization. His 19-year tenure with BBW, background in lending and correspondent services, deep understanding of community banks, and knowledge of BBW functions make him uniquely qualified for this leadership role. Jeff’s bachelor’s degree is from Montana State University; he is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. In addition, he is a graduate of the GSBC Executive Development Institute program for C-suite bank officers and a former GSBC Alumni Advisory Board member.
Chris Hill
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
Chris oversees financial reporting, liquidity and funding, and information technology at BBW. Upon graduating from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, Chris launched his career with a small community bank, where he gained experience in credit, lending and bank information technology. Today he is actively involved with initiatives pertaining to faster payments for community banks, the U.S. Coin Task Force, and the ABA’s Correspondent Bank Working Group and the Risk Management School advisory board. Chris has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado; in addition, he completed the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and the ABA Advanced Risk Management programs.
Paul Harrison
SVP & Chief Credit Officer
Paul has played a vital role in credit administration, special assets, and loan underwriting for BBW since 2009. A longtime banker with a strong lending background, Paul also serves as the correspondent services officer for Arizona-based banks. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Bankers Foundation of Colorado, a charitable organization. Paul has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Northern Colorado.
Debbie Wendt
SVP & Chief Payments Officer
Debbie’s duties include oversight of the bank’s safekeeping, federal funds, and operational functions. She is the BSA and security officer for BBW as well as a member of its information technology and business continuity committees. In 2020, Debbie played a pivotal role in the successful deployment of BRIDGE, a modernized online cash management portal for community banks. She served on the Faster Payments Task Force; she is a current U.S. Faster Payments Council participant and a member of the WesPay payments association board of directors. A graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, she maintains Accredited ACH Professional status.
Scott Wintenburg
SVP–Bank Card & Chief Growth Officer
With a decade of experience in financial consulting and account management, Scott joined BBW in 2006 as a credit analyst. He was promoted less than two years later to correspondent lender and mentor for the bank’s relationship management team. He became head of BBW’s Bank Card Division in 2019, subsequently taking on the additional duties of business development and production. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Regis University; he graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.
