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Secretary Peter J. Bildsten
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions

Peter Bildsten grew up in Baraboo and is a 30-year veteran of the Wisconsin financial services industry.  He served as Chairman and CEO of First National Bank and Trust Company of Baraboo for six years before leading a successful merger with Wells Fargo Bank in 2002.  He then served as Wells Fargo’s District President for the Greater Madison area, before joining Summit Credit Union in 2008.  Earlier in his career, he spent eight years in Milwaukee in senior lending positions with North Shore Bank and Bank Mutual, and before that another ten years in the private mortgage insurance industry, including seven years with Verex Assurance in Madison.  In 2009, Bildsten was brought in as CEO of Maritime Savings Bank to help the troubled institution get recapitalized or merge with another institution.

Bildsten’s broad-based experience with banks and credit unions both large and small suits him well as Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions.   “These are challenging times in the banking industry,” Bildsten said upon his appointment, “and I look forward to working with Scott Walker to make sure our state’s banks and credit unions are strong and contributing to a growing Wisconsin economy.  The stronger our banks and credit unions are, the more they’ll be able to help Wisconsin’s businesses grow and create jobs and economic opportunity for everyone.”

Bildsten is a 1975 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and makes his home in Baraboo with his wife Nancy.  Son Timothy works in advertising in Minneapolis, and daughter Hilary is attending the University of Minnesota.