PlainsCapital Taps Industry Veterans as Part of Statewide Rollout of New Private Banking Initiative

HOUSTON, TX (Oct. 12, 2017) – PlainsCapital Bank has hired two Houston-area industry veterans to help lead the Bank’s private banking initiative in the greater Houston and Coastal Bend areas. Steve Schaller, CFA, and Jeff Horner, CFP, join as private bankers serving high net worth individual (HNWI) clients and family offices. Schaller has been named executive vice president and market manager, and Horner has been named senior vice president and wealth strategist. They report to Thomas Neville, executive vice president and head of private banking and wealth management for PlainsCapital.

As tenured private bankers experienced in serving HNWI clients and family offices and overseeing billion-dollar portfolios, Schaller and Horner will focus on building PlainsCapital’s private banking presence in Houston and along the Gulf Coast. They will specialize in private wealth planning, trust, and investment management services for business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and other HNWI clients and families.

“We are excited to welcome Steve and Jeff, who bring experience, expertise, and recognized reputations as accomplished professionals, particularly in the Houston market,” said Neville. “Their background working with HNWI clients to help them meet their financial goals is a strong fit with PlainsCapital—both in core competencies and core values—as we expand the scope of our private banking services.”

Schaller and Horner will help lead the Bank’s initiative to brand its private banking services as The Private Bank at PlainsCapital in its markets throughout Texas. The Private Bank at PlainsCapital allows the Bank to more effectively serve the evolving HNWI market, including the increasingly multigenerational nature of the sector.

“The Private Bank at PlainsCapital enables us to broaden and deepen our best-in-class services specifically as they pertain to family offices and succession planning—an important step in our wealth management growth strategy as we expand our capabilities to provide a dedicated offering to high net worth individuals throughout the state,” Neville said.

According to the U.S. Wealth Report for 2015, wealth among HNWIs in the U.S. grew to $15.2 trillion, with the largest increase in new HNWIs coming from Texas and the West Coast. Houston was ranked 7^th for total number of HNWIs. According to Schaller, studies show that up to 70 percent of high net worth families lose their wealth by the second generation. To preserve their wealth, families need a well-considered wealth management and succession plan, even though it can be a difficult issue to address.

“This is where we believe PlainsCapital can play a key role,” said Schaller. “Wealth preservation is no longer just about investing assets, it should also include developing a succession plan and getting the next generation involved.”

The Private Bank at PlainsCapital creates solutions for clients utilizing a full team of specialists, including trust, investment, and banking professionals, as well as financial planners, attorneys and more. They offer specialized wealth management strategies to help multigenerational high net worth families preserve and grow their wealth by focusing on the following key areas:

• Planning and family dynamics
• Asset management
• Private banking
• Trust, fiduciary and administrative services
• Foundations and endowments

PlainsCapital is an established, well-known, highly regulated financial entity that offers clients simplicity and security. Backed by Hilltop Holdings Inc., a $13-billion Dallas-based holding company, the Bank has assisted Texas clients with their private banking and wealth management needs for three decades.

Well known in the Houston private banking community, Schaller brings 30 years of banking experience to his new role, including 16 years of portfolio management and investment experience in client management, asset allocation, investment program implementation and new business acquisition.  He earned his Bachelor of Science and MBA degrees from Vanderbilt University.

Horner has more than 15 years of experience providing customized wealth planning services to HNWIs. Jeff earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University.

Schaller and Horner will office at PlainsCapital’s Kirby Grove location in Houston.