Our Story

Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer

Clay Jones

Clay brings three decades of experience as a proven leader in the establishment and growth of community and commercial banking organizations. He joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2019 as Executive Vice President, President of Community Business Banking, and was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2021. Before joining HBC, Clay served nearly a decade at Presidio Bank, assuming the role of President in 2018. Prior to joining Presidio Bank, Clay was the organizing and initial President and CEO of New Resource Bank, widely considered the first sustainably focused community bank in the nation. Clay is very active in his community, serving a variety of advisory and board roles in the Bay Area. He serves as an Executive Board Member of Job Train, an educational and training institution serving low-income individuals and their families. He graduated from the University of the Pacific with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration.

Executive Vice President, President of Specialty Finance Group

Glen Shu

Glen is President of Heritage Bank of Commerce’s Specialty Finance Group, which includes factoring, asset-based lending, and SBA business units. He is also the President of Heritage’s wholly owned subsidiary, Bay View Funding. Prior to that, Glen served as Executive Vice President of underwriting and operations for the factoring division of Bay View Commercial Finance Group, a division of Bay View Bank. A graduate of San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, he has spent more than 30 years in the financial services industry including various roles with KBK Financial and Concord Growth Corporation from 1992 to 1998.

Executive Vice President, Community Business Banking President

Dustin Warford

Dustin joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2006, starting in Commercial and Private Banking. In 2012, he was chosen to lead the Real Estate Industry Division and Peninsula market, where he was consistently a key contributor to the Bank’s growth and success. Prior to joining Heritage, Dustin was at Comerica Bank providing high-quality service to his clients. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and an MBA in Finance from Santa Clara University and is also a graduate of The Pacific Coast Banking School. Over the years, Dustin has stayed connected to his community by serving on numerous boards, including 19 for Life, The Bronco Bench Foundation, San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and Sacred Heart Nativity School.

Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer

Deborah Reuter

Deborah K. Reuter has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary of Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce since April 2014. She was appointed Corporate Secretary in January 2010. Ms. Reuter joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in June 1994, as Vice President/Loan Support Services Manager.

Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer

Susan Just

Susan S. Just has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Heritage Bank of Commerce since September 2023. Prior to joining Heritage Bank of Commerce, Ms. Just served as Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Santa Cruz County Bank from July 2021 until September 2023. Prior to that she served as a consultant to Salo LLC and Noumena Partners, Inc. from October 2018 until July 2021. Ms. Just has also previously served in senior credit administration roles at J.P. Morgan Chase, First Chicago Bank & Trust, Northern Trust Bank and TCF Bank. Ms. Just holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University of Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of ManagementatNorthwesternUniversity.

Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Sachin Vaidya

Sachin is an accomplished Information Technology Management professional with over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2021 as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer, and was named Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer in 2023. Before joining Heritage Bank of Commerce, Sachin served 1^st Capital Bank as Director of Information Technology for 8 years. Sachin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems and an MBA in Technology Management from University of Phoenix and is also a graduate of The Pacific Coast Banking School. Sachin serves the community by serving on the boards of non-profit organizations such as Pocket Security and Gateway Center of Monterey. He volunteers his time at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Milpitas and Sankara Eye Foundation.

Executive Vice President, Operations Executive

Karol Watson

Karol has more than three decades of experience as a proven leader in community bank operations.  She joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2019 as Senior Vice President, Branch Operations.  Prior to joining HBC, Karol held the positions of EVP, Chief Operations Officer and SVP, Loan Operations Manager at Presidio Bank.  Before joining Presidio Bank, she held the position of SVP, Loan Operations Manager at Greater Bay Bancorp and California Bancshares.  Karol is a graduate of The Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, Seattle WA.

Executive Vice President, Financial Intelligence Department

Suzanne Zierman

Suzanne brings over four decades of expertise in banking operations and fraud prevention. She joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in 1996 as AVP/Customer Service Assistant Manager in Branch and Central Operations, eventually moving into the role as SVP/Senior Operations Manager. Subsequently, Suzanne advanced to the role of EVP/Financial Intelligence Department Manager, overseeing Central Operations, Fraud Prevention, and Anti-Money Laundering. In 2015, she earned the prestigious Certified Fraud Examiner designation, followed by the ABA Certified AML and Fraud Professional designation in 2021. Currently, Suzanne serves as the Bank’s EVP/Internal Audit Department Manager, leveraging her extensive knowledge and experience to ensure the highest standards of operational integrity and regulatory compliance.

Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer

Chris Edmonds-Waters

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer

Thomas Sa

Thomas (Tom) A. Sa joined Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce in 2024 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He also serves as Interim Chief Financial Officer of Heritage Commerce Corp and Heritage Bank of Commerce as of November 2024. With over 30 years of experience in California-based community and regional banks, Mr. Sa most recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Financial Operating Officer at California BanCorp and California Bank of Commerce becoming the President of both the Bank and its parent company in 2023. Prior to his tenure at California Bank, he had a distinguished career at Bridge Capital Holdings and its subsidiary, Bridge Bank, N.A., holding various executive roles from the company’s inception in 2001 through and post its merger with Western Alliance Bank in 2015. These roles included Chief Financial Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer, demonstrating a broad range of leadership in financial management and strategic oversight throughout his career. In addition, he served on the Boards of Bridge Capital Holdings and Bridge Bank from 2010-2015.

He began his career as a CPA with Deloitte & Touche, specializing in financial institutions and technology companies in Silicon Valley. Mr. Sa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting from Humboldt State University and is a licensed CPA in California.