ABOUT STEVEN
Steven A. Sugarman is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, executive leader and philanthropist. Mr. Sugarman has built multiple innovative, purpose-driven businesses and expanded financial services through direct originations, investments, and strategic partnerships. Mr. Sugarman founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Banc of California (NYSE: BANC), Patriot National Bancorp (NASDAQ: PNBK), The Change Company CDFI, and the holding company of COR Clearing. In recognition of his leadership, Mr. Sugarman was named a Banking and Finance Visionary by the Los Angeles Times in 2025.
Mr. Sugarman currently serves as the Board Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Patriot National Bancorp (NASDAQ: PNBK), the bank holding company for Patriot Bank, N.A., based in Stamford, Connecticut, where he is also the President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sugarman was brought on to lead Patriot’s strategic restructuring efforts in 2025.
In 2017 Mr. Sugarman founded The Change Company, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the State of California. The Change Company is dedicated to offering fair and responsible lending to underserved people and communities across America. Change has deployed over $10 billion to low and moderate income borrowers since its inception. Today, The Change Company partners with over 75 banks, insurance companies, asset managers, and socially responsible corporations. The Change Company delivers its proprietary technology, lending, and banking products through over 1,000 non-bank partners. At The Change Company, Mr. Sugarman earned numerous accolades, including Best CEO for Diversity and Best CEO for Women.
At Banc of California, Mr. Sugarman served as Board Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and President until 2017. Under his leadership, Banc of California was recognized as one of Forbes Magazine’s Top Banks in America, listed among Fortune Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies, and became the largest independent bank in California to receive an “Outstanding” rating for Community Development from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Mr. Sugarman pioneered Banc of California’s award-winning financial literacy initiative in collaboration with nonprofit, community, and faith-based organizations throughout Southern California. In 2014, alongside President Bill Clinton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Mr. Sugarman helped set two Guinness World Records for the world’s largest financial literacy event.
In 2011, Mr. Sugarman led the recapitalization of COR Clearing, a securities clearing firm, serving as Board Chair and CEO of its holding company until its successful sale to Axos Bank in 2019. Mr. Sugarman is also the founder and Managing Member of COR Capital, and was a founding Partner of GPS Partners, a $2 billion investment advisory firm.
Mr. Sugarman serves as Of Counsel to Michelman & Robinson LLP, advising clients in the Banking and Financial Services sectors. From 2017 to 2020, he served as General Counsel of the National Diversity Coalition. He is an active board member of Los Angeles Team Mentoring (LATM), and was honored with the LATM Keystone Award in 2014. Mr. Sugarman was recognized by the National Diversity Coalition and National Asian American Coaltioan with the 2015 Giraffe Award for public service leadership.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Sugarman worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company and at Lehman Brothers. He is the co-author of The Forewarned Investor: Don’t Get Fooled Again by Corporate Fraud (Career Press) and is a graduate of the Yale Law School and Dartmouth College.