The Board of Directors of Sturgis Bank and Trust Company (the Bank) approved a succession plan to ensure the long-term success of the organization as it experiences market growth and expansion of its services to commercial and individual customers in southwest Michigan.
Eric Eishen, Chief Executive Officer and President of Sturgis Bank and Trust Company, will transition to the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Bank. Jason Hyska, currently Senior Vice President and Head of Retail Lending, has been named Chief Executive Officer for the Bank. Matt Scheske, currently Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Lending, has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. Together, Hyska and Scheske will lead all bank operations.
David Franks, Chairman of the Sturgis Bank and Trust Company Board of Directors, said, “Our organization and the customers and communities we serve have benefitted greatly from Eric Eishen’s leadership. Several years ago, we began to consider the future of Sturgis Bank and Trust Company and who would assume the daily management of the bank. Eric’s role was transitioning to corporate governance, risk management and strategic initiatives. We are pleased that he will stay with the company to provide mentorship for Jason and Matt in addition to the other duties he is currently performing.”
Eishen will continue in his concurrent role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sturgis Bancorp, Inc. the holding company, and as a Director of the Bank. In his new Sturgis Bank role, Eishen will oversee strategic planning, risk management, regulatory affairs, compliance, and legal, as well as Oakleaf Financial Services, Inc., the Bank’s investment planning subsidiary.
“This transition will positively enhance the long-term stability of our organization,” said Eishen. “I have had the pleasure of working with Jason for over 25 years and Matt for over 20 years. The Bank believes in staff development and has a strong history of identifying people with leadership qualities. Our board has selected two of the best in the Michigan banking industry to lead us going forward as we continue to focus on providing value to our customers and our communities. My performing the risk and regulatory management for the Bank allows Jason and Matt to focus on business matters and to continue to develop a group of top-class bankers. The bank is in excellent hands. These two are highly motivated and hard working, a combination that is hard to beat. The management of Sturgis Bank and Trust Company is in excellent hands.”
Eishen has spent his entire career serving Sturgis Bank and Trust Company. He began as a facilities assistant and teller while still in his teens at the behest of his father, Leonard Eishen, who served as Chief Executive Officer of Sturgis Bank and Trust Company from 1976 until he retired in 2002. Eric continued to serve the Bank while in college, went on to work in multiple roles in lending for the Bank, and over his tenure has held most leadership roles with the exception of Chief Financial Officer.
Hyska joined Sturgis Bank and Trust Company in 1996 as a teller and was soon promoted to a loan processor. He has held additional roles as Banking Center Manager and Loan Officer, and Vice President, Head of Retail Lending. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in finance, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Notre Dame with a Masters of Business Administration. He is well-known in the banking industry and serves on the Bank PAC Board of the Michigan Bankers Association (MBA) and is Past Chair of the Retail Lending Committee.
“I’m honored to be named Chief Executive Officer of the company where I have built my career and focused on providing value to our customers while helping our communities grow,” said Hyska. “Matt and I will continue with what works well for our stakeholders while bringing our organization to the next level. We’re thankful for all that we have learned from Eric and for the opportunity to lead Sturgis Bank and Trust Company.”
Matt Scheske joined Sturgis Bank and Trust Company in 1999. He worked part-time as a teller and intern before transitioning to a full-time role in 2003 as a commercial lender following undergraduate graduation. Scheske was promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Lending in 2018. He is a graduate of Condordia University (Wisconsin) with a degree in mathematics and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. He earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame, graduating magna cum laude.
“I am thankful for the confidence and support of our board of directors,” said Scheske. “Jason and I have worked in partnership for many years, and we look forward to developing and delivering the strategic vision of our Board. We have a great team and we are excited to build upon our strengths as Sturgis Bank and Trust Company continues to grow.”
At its July quarterly meeting, the Board of Directors of Sturgis Bancorp, Inc. approved expanding the Board of Directors for Sturgis Bank and Trust Company and appointed Hyska and Scheske to the Bank Board.