Wells Fargo lures Garretty from sabbatical

After two years building up City National Bank’s Palo Alto private banking division as senior vice president and manager, prominent Silicon Valley private banker Jeanette Garretty is leaving.

After almost 25 years in banking, Garretty was convinced to cancel a long-planned sabbatical to join Wells Fargo & Co.’s Private Client Services banking unit in Palo Alto with an offer she says she couldn’t refuse. She will serve as a senior relationship manager and private banker.

Previously, Garretty was a technology economist and private banker with Bank of America in Menlo Park.

“She has extensive industry contacts. Let’s just say we had to increase the capacity on our server to accommodate her Rolodex,” says Mark Bigley, regional private banking manager for client services at Wells Fargo.

Garretty says the fact Wells Fargo is locally based was a factor in her move.

“I really like that Wells Fargo is the No. 1 corporate giver in the Bay Area and is a big believer in the community,” Garretty says. “It’s a wonderful time to build strategy in private banking, It’s been a tough economy, but more and more people are looking forward and that’s what I want to help them do.”