Old National Announces Strategic Alignment of Commercial Banking Leadership, Welcomes Chris Doyle
Rhea-AI Summary
Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB) announced a strategic realignment of Commercial Banking leadership on April 13, 2026, including the hiring of Chris Doyle as President of Commercial Banking and the promotion of John C. Thurston to President of Corporate Banking.
The update also shifts Treasury Management and commercial middle office responsibilities, assigns FX and FinTech strategy to Joe Wicklander, transitions Tim Kocher to Chief Service Delivery Officer, and follows the retirement of former Commercial Banking CEO Jim Sandgren on April 1, 2026.
Positive
- Appointed Chris Doyle as President of Commercial Banking
- Promoted John C. Thurston to President of Corporate Banking
- Consolidated Treasury and FX under Joe Wicklander to drive FinTech and liquidity solutions
- Created Chief Service Delivery Officer role for Tim Kocher to strengthen client service
Negative
- Retirement of Commercial Banking CEO Jim Sandgren may create near-term leadership transition risk
News Market Reaction – ONB
In the Apr 13 session, ONB gained 0.51%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31 | Earnings schedule | Neutral | +2.9% | Set date and time for Q1 2026 earnings release and call. |
| Mar 30 | CRA rating update | Positive | +0.2% | Received Outstanding CRA rating for lending and community development. |
| Mar 05 | Conference appearance | Neutral | -2.7% | CEO presentation at RBC financial institutions conference with webcast access. |
| Feb 19 | Dividend & buyback | Positive | -0.1% | Raised common dividend and doubled share repurchase authorization to $400M. |
| Feb 10 | Tech partnership | Positive | -0.6% | Completed Axletree partnership to upgrade SWIFT and ISO 20022 compliance. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent shareholder-friendly actions (dividend and buyback increase, tech partnership) sometimes saw modest negative 24-hour price moves despite constructive news.
Over the past few months, ONB reported several corporate developments, including a buyback and dividend increase, technology and payments enhancements, and recognition for community lending. An earnings release schedule and conference appearance underscored its positioning as a top 25 U.S. bank with about $72 billion in assets. Today’s leadership realignment in Commercial and Corporate Banking follows this period of strategic and operational updates and comes after the announced retirement of the Commercial Banking CEO.
Key Terms
treasury management financial
foreign exchange (fx) financial
fintech technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB) today announced a strategic alignment of its Commercial Banking leadership structure to better match leadership roles and responsibilities with the capabilities, reach, and complexity of its commercial clients. As part of this updated structure, Chris Doyle has joined Old National as President of Commercial Banking, and John C. Thurston has been promoted to President of Corporate Banking.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Old National, and we are equally excited to welcome John into an expanded leadership role,” said Old National Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan. “This new alignment not only allows us to fully leverage the strengths and experience of both leaders, it also reflects the growing scale of our Commercial business and our commitment to providing exceptional, highly individualized service to all our commercial clients.”
Additionally, Old National is further aligning key Treasury Management and Commercial middle office functions. Joe Wicklander, president of Treasury Solutions & Payments, will continue to lead Treasury Management, Merchant Services, and the Financial Institutions Group while also taking on responsibility for Old National’s Foreign Exchange (FX) business and building out FinTech and Liquidity solutions. Tim Kocher will transition from Chief Credit Strategy Officer to Chief Service Delivery Officer, providing leadership that strengthens service delivery for Commercial Banking clients.
These leadership updates follow the departure of Commercial Banking CEO Jim Sandgren, who retired on April 1, 2026, after 34 years of service with the organization.
About Chris Doyle
Old National welcomes Chris Doyle as President of Commercial Banking. Doyle brings more than 20 years of banking experience, most recently serving as Commercial Regional Leader, SVP, at a super-regional bank, where he spent nine years supporting complex client transactions, growth strategies, capital needs, and succession planning.
In this new leadership role, Doyle will oversee Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Banking (including SBA lending and Agricultural lending), Middle Market Banking (including Asset-Based Lending, Small Business Investment Company, and Family Office), Commercial Real Estate and Expansion Markets.
Doyle is active in the local Cleveland-area community where he serves as a board member of Urban Community School (Board Chair), Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, and GESU Finance Council. He is also a member of Leadership Cleveland class of 2026. Chris earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Saint Louis University.
About John C. Thurston
John C. Thurston, who joined Old National in 2023 and most recently served as Corporate Banking Director, has been appointed President of the Corporate Bank, which will serve Old National’s largest commercial banking clients. Thurston brings 30 years of industry experience spanning multiple geographies, lines of business, and industry verticals.
He has led teams across the country while driving strategic initiatives, new business development, and long‑term client growth strategies. In his expanded leadership role, Thurston will oversee Corporate Banking, Specialty Banking, and Capital Markets (including Syndications, Tax Credit, Term Loan B, Sponsor Finance, and Investment Banking/M&A).
A resident of Chicago for more than 30 years, John is highly active in the Chicago community, serving as a member of the Board of Directors at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep, as well as a Board Member at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. He is the past Chairman of the Old St. Mary’s Church Finance Committee, and a member of the Old St. Mary’s School Finance Sub-committee and Amate House Board of Directors. John earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Business Economics from the University of Notre Dame.
About Joe Wicklander
As President of Treasury Solutions & Payments, Joe Wicklander has modernized and enhanced Old National’s Treasury Management and Merchant Services offerings while also launching a Financial Institutions Group. He will continue to lead Treasury Management, Merchant Services, and the Financial Institutions Group with added responsibility for Old National’s Foreign Exchange (FX) business. Prior to joining Old National in 2023, he led the Financial Institutions Group for CIBC Bank in Chicago.
About Tim Kocher
Tim Kocher will transition from Chief Credit Strategy Officer to Chief Service Delivery Officer, providing operational leadership that strengthens service delivery for Commercial Banking clients. In this role, he will oversee Commercial Administration (including loan fulfillment and commercial support) and Treasury Management middle office functions, helping ensure consistent execution, strong controls, and a seamless client experience. Formerly a member of Bremer Bank’s executive leadership team, Kocher officially transitioned to Old National’s leadership with the completion of the bank’s Bremer Bank partnership in 2025.
ABOUT OLD NATIONAL
Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB) is the holding company of Old National Bank. As the sixth largest commercial bank headquartered in the Midwest, Old National proudly serves clients primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. With approximately
Investor Relations:
Lynell Durchholz
(812) 464-1366
lynell.durchholz@oldnational.com
Media Relations:
Rick Vach
(904) 535-9489
rick.vach@oldnational.com
