Leadership

Robert Story, Senior
Robert "Bob" Story is Chairman of Seattle Financial Group. He joined the company in December of 1955 following in the foot steps of his father-in-law, Ben Smith, Sr., who founded Seattle Mortgage Company in 1944. After Ben Sr.'s retirement, he shared the management with his brother-in-law, Ben Smith, Jr., and succeeded him as President upon his retirement.

The company exhibited steady growth under his leadership, and in 1999, the holding company was formed with Seattle Savings Bank as its primary subsidiary. Seattle Mortgage became a subsidiary of the Bank. Today, Bob maintains his involvement in the company as Chairman of the holding company and of the major subsidiary, Seattle Savings Bank.

Bob has been involved in a variety of business and community activities. A partial list includes serving as President of the Seattle Mortgage Bankers Association, Washington Mortgage Bankers Association, and the Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. He is currently a Board Member of the Northwest Parkinsons Foundation.

He served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Washington Alumni Association and also as the organization’s President. He also heads the Washington Alumni Advocates, a group that provides financial backing for the legislative interests of the University of Washington.

He is a member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) and a Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) and Lambda Alpha, an International Real Estate honorary.

Robert E. Story, Junior
Robert E. Story, Jr., president of Seattle Financial Group, is a seasoned business leader and Certified Mortgage Banker with more than 25 years experience in real estate financing. He is also managing director of Seattle Savings Bank and a member of the bank's board of directors. His responsibilities at Seattle Financial Group include strategic management of business operations and overseeing all aspects of the organization. He is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and vice chairman of the organization for 2007-2008. Story, Jr. received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington.

Bryan Cartwright
Bryan Cartwright is Executive Vice President/Chief Operations Officer of Seattle Financial Group. He joined the company in 2007 and oversees operations of all SFG operating units. Prior to joining the company, Bryan was a Partner with Moss Adams, LLC where he focused his practice in the financial services industry and publicly held companies. He served as Audit Department Chair for the Bellingham Office. Bryan also worked for Coopers and Lybrand and Grant Thornton during his accounting career. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Washington.

John Marshall
John Marshall, Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, joined Seattle Financial Group in 2001 following 26 years with a family-owned diversified financial services company, also based in Seattle. John oversees financial management of all operations. He is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

David Smith
David Smith joined Seattle Mortgage in 1980 and spent much of his career in commercial lending division including construction lending and permanent loans throughout the region. As Executive Vice President, he utilizes this expertise today as he oversees all the companies real estate facilities and real estate property investments. David also serves on the Loan/Credit Committee and the Board of Directors of Seattle Savings Bank. He holds an undergraduate degree from University of Puget Sound, is the Designated Real Estate Broker for the Company, and is a member of the Rainier Club and the Washington Athletic Club.

Gary Carlson
Gary Carlson is Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer for Seattle Financial Group and Senior Vice President/Chief Lending Officer of Seattle Savings Bank. Gary has 30 years of experience in commercial and real estate banking with large national and international banks. He joined Seattle Savings Bank in 2003 and is responsible for commercial lending activity and is a member of the executive management team. Gary holds a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from the University of Washington and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School.

Stephanie Yates
Stephanie Yates is Senior Vice President/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Seattle Financial Group. Stephanie manages the legal affairs for the company and its subsidiaries. She joined the company in 2005, bringing more than 20 years of legal experience in the financial services sector. Stephanie received her bachelor's degree from Scripps College and her law degree from the University of Washington.

Derin Bluhm
Derin Bluhm is Chief Information Officer of Seattle Financial Group. Derin joined the company in 2006 and manages enterprise-wide technology strategy and implementation. Prior to Seattle Financial Group, Derin worked at FiServ, Pfizer, Boeing and was a technology consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Mary Grace Roske
Mary Grace Roske is Director of Corporate Communications for Seattle Financial Group. She joined the company in 2006 after 18 years with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, where she served as Vice President/Director of Corporate Relations. She is responsible for external communications for Seattle Financial Group companies, including advertising, media relations and publications. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and a master’s degree from Syracuse University.