Sonny Sonnenstein is Chief Information Officer for Western Alliance Bank.
As CIO, Mr. Sonnenstein oversees all technology groups and functions for the Bank, including hardware, software, and key vendor relationships. He reports to the Chief Banking Officer.
Mr. Sonnenstein brings more than 30 years of experience to his role at Western Alliance Bank, having served in senior-level roles in banking, technology and management consulting. Most recently, he was the group CIO for consumer, business and digital banking at New York-based M&T Bank, where he spearheaded significant modernization and innovation efforts.
Prior to M&T, Mr. Sonnenstein was enterprise CIO at Umpqua Bank and, before that, deputy CIO at First Horizon. His early career was spent in consulting with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he worked with leading domestic and global financial service companies on strategy and technology projects, as well as in the banking industry with Wachovia (now Wells Fargo).
Mr. Sonnenstein earned both his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and his Master of Business Administration in Finance and Management Information Systems at Cornell University.
Western Alliance Bank
Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) is one of the country’s top-performing banking companies. Its primary subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, Member FDIC, is a leading national bank for business that puts customers first, delivering tailored business banking solutions and consumer products backed by outstanding, personalized service and specific expertise in more than 30 industries and sectors. With $90 billion in assets and offices nationwide, Western Alliance excels at helping businesses of all sizes capitalize on their opportunities to solve today and succeed tomorrow. Western Alliance Bank includes six legacy bank brands — Alliance Association Bank, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank and Torrey Pines Bank — that continue to be part of the company’s heritage. Western Alliance has ranked as a top U.S. bank by American Banker and Bank Director since 2016. In 2024, Western Alliance Bancorporation again was #1 for Best CEO, Best CFO and Best Company Board of Directors on Extel’s All-America Executive Team Midcap Banks list.