Carlos Guangorena, President and CEO, Plaza Bank
Executive Management Team
Carlos Guangorena, President and Chief Executive Officer of Plaza Bank. Carlos is a former Wells Fargo Senior Vice President. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President at Pacific Northwest Bank in charge of Corporate Banking and a Senior Corporate Lender for US Bank in Seattle. Carlos’ banking career spans 32 years covering markets in both Southern California and in Seattle. Born in Mexico in the town of Delicias, Chihuahua, Carlos immigrated to the United States with his family in 1957. Carlos completed his MBA in Accounting and Finance from the Graduate School of Management at UCLA. He is fluent in Spanish and active in the Latino community. For the past 15 years, he has worked frequently as a tutor in P.I.P.E. (Partners in Public Education), a program for elementary children at Maple School in Seattle. Since 1982, Carlos and his family have resided in Seattle.
Agustin R. (Gus) Ayala, EVP and Chief Financial Officer. A 35+ year community banker, Gus served in various management positions at community banks in California. A 1980 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, Gus seized the opportunity to relocate from California to the Northwest in 1997. He joined the Bank of Bellingham as CFO and participated in its reorganization into a bank holding company. Subsequent to its merger with Horizon Bank, Gus served as Senior Vice President of Operations until his retirement in August 2005.
Frank M. Buty, EVP and Chief Lending Officer. A Seattle native, and seasoned banker of 35+ years, Frank is a graduate of Seattle University with a BA in Business Administration, he is also a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School, Northwest Agricultural Credit School and a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP). Frank’s previous banking experience includes Senior Vice President at First Sound Bank and 31 years with U.S. Bank in various senior managerial roles including SVP & and Manager of East King County Business Banking , Relationship Manager in Bellevue and Seattle markets, Manager of the Consumer Credit Center in Seattle and in Yakima, and Branch Manager at Ephrata. Frank is a retired Senior Officer of the U.S. Army and the Washington Army National Guard and is a veteran of Desert Storm.
Board of Directors
Michael E. Sotelo – Organizer, Founding director. Founder and President, Approach Management Services; Principal, W. G. Clark Construction Company; Chairman of the Board, Association of Washington Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Pedro Celis – Organizer, Founding director. Distinguished Engineer, SQO Server Group, Microsoft; National Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly; holder of over 10 U.S. Patents.
Steve Johnson – Organizer, Founding director. President, SCJ Commercial.
Gene Juárez – Founding Director. Founder of Seattle’s most distinguished salon and one of the most successful salon owners in the nation.
Robert Flowers – Vice Chairman of the Board. Retired Senior Vice President, Washington Mutual; Chairman of the Board, KCTS-TV.
George Armendariz – Chairman of the Board. Vice President and General Manager, European & US Boat Brands & Products, Brunswick Corporation.
Carmen Julia Aguiar, CPA, CFP – Director. President and CEO, The Aguiar Group, a multi-lingual CPA and consulting firm in Bellevue, Washington.
Carlos Guangorena – Organizer, Founding Director. President & Chief Executive Officer, Plaza Bank.
