Bank of Oklahoma names Greg Wheeler Oklahoma City Market Leader

Wheeler will succeed John Higginbotham upon his planned retirement

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greg Wheeler will succeed John Higginbotham as Oklahoma City market leader for Bank of Oklahoma as of Jan. 1, 2022. Wheeler will assume the role of market president in addition to his current role as director of the company’s Private Wealth division.

“I want to thank John for his years of service and congratulate Greg on his new role,” said Stacy Kymes, BOK Financial’s chief operating officer who will assume the role of president and chief executive officer when Steve Bradshaw retires. “As a lifelong resident, Greg’s passion for Oklahoma City is matched by his commitment to ensuring our company’s continued success in serving that market.”

The change comes as current market executive John Higginbotham, who has served as the market executive since 2016, announced his retirement in spring of 2022. “I recently celebrated my 35th year with BOKF, and have had time to reflect on my career and the important relationships built internally and externally with our values clients and community partners. I am proud of the business we have built and all that has been accomplished by our team,” Higginbotham said. “Greg will be a great leader for this market, and I wish him and the entire team much success.”

Norm Bagwell, regional banking executive for BOK Financial, said that Wheeler’s selection as market president reflects not only the company’s considerable bench strength but also its focus on holistically serving the complete financial needs of businesses and individuals. “Over his many years of service, John has been an example of the kind of leadership that we’re known for. I am grateful for all of his contributions,” said Bagwell.

“Greg has been a tremendous leader for the company’s Private Wealth division,” Bagwell continued. “I am confident that he will bring that same focus on delivering high-touch personal service to his role as Oklahoma City market executive.”

As director of Private Wealth at BOK Financial, Wheeler is responsible for the delivery of private banking, personal trust and asset management to the company’s high-net-worth clients. He also serves as the chief executive officer of the company’s registered investment advisory firm. Prior to joining BOK Financial in 2003, Wheeler’s 14 years at Bank of America culminated in his final role as market executive in Oklahoma.

An Oklahoma City native, Wheeler earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA in finance from Oklahoma City University. He currently serves as treasurer of deadCenter Film Festival, a member of the Investment Policy Committee for the City of Nichols Hills and a member of Rotary Club #29. Greg previously served as board chair for both Leadership Oklahoma and Leadership Oklahoma City, as well as Positive Tomorrows and the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League.

“Oklahoma City has always been my home and an important market for BOK Financial,” said Wheeler. “I appreciate John Higginbotham’s years of leadership and look forward to working with this outstanding team to continue growing Bank of Oklahoma’s presence in this city.”

Bank of Oklahoma is part of BOKF, NA which BOK Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: BOKF) is a more than $47 billion regional financial services company headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. with more than $90 billion in assets under management and administration. The company’s stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the Global Select market listings (BOKF). BOK Financial Corporation’s holdings include BOKF, NA; BOK Financial Securities, Inc.; BOK Financial Private Wealth; and BOK Financial Insurance, Inc. BOKF, NA operates TransFund, Cavanal Hill Investment Management and BOK Financial Asset Management, Inc. BOKF, NA operates banking divisions across eight states as: Bank of Albuquerque, Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of Texas and BOK Financial (in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri); as well as having limited purpose offices in Nebraska, Milwaukee and Connecticut. Through its subsidiaries, BOK Financial Corporation provides commercial and consumer banking, brokerage trading, investment, trust and insurance services, mortgage origination and servicing, and an electronic funds transfer network. For more information, visit www.bokf.com.