Leadership

Jeff Pickryl is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Vast Bank, bringing over 30 years of experience in leading financial institutions across Oklahoma and beyond. With a distinguished career that spans three decades, Jeff has demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise in the banking industry. His deep knowledge of financial services and commitment to driving growth has positioned him as a respected leader in the region and beyond.

Veronica Bickerstaff is the Chief Financial Officer of Vast Bank. Veronica began her career in the audit and consulting practices at PWC and Deloitte, and she has more than 26 years of experience in auditing and accounting, including nineteen years of experience in banking. Veronica joined Vast Bank in 2018. Veronica earned her BS from Oklahoma State University with honors, and she is a Certified Public Accountant.

Doug DeJarnette is President of Vast Bank and has deep roots in the Tulsa banking community with an emphasis on a concierge approach to relationship banking. After growing the Bank of Oklahoma's Private Bank, Doug took the reins of the F&M Bank and Trust Company's Private Bank and Mortgage Company in the Tulsa and Dallas markets. Doug focuses his philanthropic time and energy on Tulsa’s public assets and the arts, having served many organizations and most recently serving as Treasurer for the Arts Alliance as well as the University of Tulsa’s Friends of Finance. He is also a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Doug received his BA from the University of Oklahoma and he joined Vast Bank in 2014.

John Yarbrough is the Chief Credit Officer of Vast Bank. John has been with Vast Bank since 2017 and has more than 39 years of experience in the banking industry. He has held multiple executive positions, including market president, chief risk officer, and chief credit officer. John is the former founder, president, and CEO of Sentry Risk Management Services. In his current position, John manages the coordination and oversight of the bank’s credit risk management activities, is responsible for reporting the status of credit risk to the Board of Directors, and provides guidance to loan officers and credit analysts on the bank’s overall lending policy, credit risk appetite and best practices.

Kerri Faw Faw serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Vast Bank, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in the banking industry. She specializes in efficiency improvements, operations management, project management, data analysis, and automation.  In her role, Kerri leads initiatives that drive operational excellence and process optimization across the organization, ensuring alignment with the bank’s strategic goals.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas in Denton and holds certification from the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

Natalie Parker is the Chief Risk Officer of Vast Bank. She has 16 years of expertise in the banking and financial services sector. Natalie has a strong background in enterprise risk management, financial reporting, and compliance with GAAP. Her career spans various leadership roles, including Chief Financial Officer at Citizens Bank of Edmond and Assurance Manager at Hogantaylor. Natalie is adept at navigating complex regulatory environments and has a proven track record of enhancing operational risk management processes. With a Bachelor of Accountancy from North Dakota State University and further education at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, she combines academic rigor with practical expertise. Passionate about mentoring future leaders in finance, she actively seeks opportunities to foster growth within her teams. Outside of her professional life, she is known for her strategic thinking and commitment to excellence in risk management.

Kristen Wagner is the EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer of Vast Bank, joining the organization in 2023. Kristen has 14 years of human resource experience, formerly serving as the VP and Team Recruiting Manager at Mabrey Bank. She has worked in banking since 2008, starting her career at BOK in Fiduciary tax before pivoting into a successful 11-year career in the HR organization. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Management and is a Certified Leadership Coach. Kristen brings focused experience in all aspects of the employee life cycle.

Travis Ferrell is the Chief Information Officer of Vast Bank with over two decades of experience strategically aligning technology and banking operations. Before joining Vast Bank in 2022 as a VP in the IT Department, Travis excelled as a startup professional services leader, delivering high-value AWS expertise and solutions to numerous Fortune 500 enterprises across diverse sectors. This extensive background has cultivated a deep proficiency in managing complex cloud architecture, driving digital transformation, and leveraging technology to achieve significant business outcomes. A proponent of best practices in project management, Travis holds the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) designation and is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma. Travis remains dedicated to the community through actively volunteering in Tulsa.

Patrick Benoit is the EVP, Chief Information Security Officer of Vast Bank. Prior to that role, he was the Global CISO at Brinks, Inc. and the Global Head of Cyber Governance, Risk, and Compliance / Business Information Security Officer for CBRE. He was also formerly the Deputy CISO for Cheetah Digital. He has been an Executive Business Partner at Experian; a Customer Delivery Executive and Service Delivery Leader at Dell; and owned another technology consulting company. He is a highly effective Business Leader with a mastery of Technology and Security. He is also a Writer, Speaker, and a continuous Mentor/Advisor and Learner.

Alex Sedlacek is the Chief Banking Officer of Vast Bank. Alex comes to us from Legacy Bank and Trust where he managed Commercial & Industrial credits for the Oklahoma market. Prior to Legacy, Alex worked at INTRUST and Firstar bank, where he focused on Commercial & Industrial lending and Oil & Gas verticals, as well as syndicated credit facilities. His banking career began at the Bank of Oklahoma as a Treasury Sales Officer.