Columbia Bank hires James Short, Rich Watson to lead new Franchise Banking Team

• Columbia Bank, unit of Columbia Banking System, formed a Franchise Banking Team to expand franchise banking capabilities with initial focus on restaurants.
• James Short hired to lead the group; he previously launched BBVA Compass Food Franchise Finance Team, held leadership roles at GE Capital Franchise Finance, most recently served as senior vice president and senior relationship manager at Bank of America.
• Rich Watson also joined the team; he previously served as senior vice president and senior relationship manager at Bank of America, held roles as credit products officer, portfolio management officer in Bank of America Restaurant Group.
• Move formalizes expansion of franchise support tied to acquisition of Pacific Premier Bank franchise banking portfolio last year.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Columbia Banking System Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via PR Newswire (Ref. ID: SF47473) on April 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.