Leaders Who Listen
We’re passionate about providing the best service around. It’s our pleasure to lead the way forward for Horicon Bank.
Meet Fred F. Schwertfeger
Chief Executive Officer
In 1982, Fred F. Schwertfeger became the Chief Executive Officer of Horicon Bank and Sword Financial Corporation, the holding company of the bank which was started by Mr. Frederick R. Schwertfeger in 1977. Fred graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an Economics major. He received a Master of Business Administration degree with a Finance major from Northwestern University in 1967. Fred served as a Lieutenant in the US Army Security Agency from 1968-1970 and joined Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors in 1978.
Meet Fred C. Schwertfeger
President
As President, Fred oversees all areas of the bank and leads strategic planning. Fred says he enjoys supporting his colleagues in his role. He likes meeting different people and collaborating to find new opportunities for the Bank to serve more customers. He has served on Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors since 2020. Fred is a third generation owner of Horicon Bank. In 2014, he graduated from the UW-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking program. He has degrees in Art History and Visual Culture from the Universities of Oxford, Glasgow and St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.
Some Fun Info About Fred
Experience
Fred has more than 15 years of banking experience. He has been with Horicon Bank since 2006.
Expertise
Marketing | Branding | Workplace Culture | Digital Banking
Extracurriculars
Fred serves as a Board Member for the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, WI and for Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, WI. When he’s not collaborating over bank strategy, Fred enjoys coaching his daughter’s soccer team and cheering on all the home teams (Packers, Brewers and Bucks)!
Meet Doreen Hartgerink
Human Resources, Senior Vice President
Doreen supports and mentors a team of Human Resources Professionals in the areas of Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, Onboarding and Career Development. Doreen enjoys being able to use her talents in a variety of tasks in her role including working closely with managers to provide guidance in personnel and employment matters to help them develop and grow in their careers. She also manages the Bank’s compensation program and redesigned the performance evaluation process to promote greater opportunities for employee engagement, talent management and succession planning. Doreen says she values the way Horicon Bank as an organization truly cares about employees and their families. Doreen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources and is a graduate of UW-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking Human Resource Management School. She also participated in the Wisconsin Banker’s Association’s Education and Leadership Focus Group.
Some Fun Info About Doreen
Experience
Doreen has more than 31 years of Human Resources experience. She has been with Horicon Bank since 1998.
Expertise
Employment Law | Performance Management | Compensation Management I Benefits
Extracurriculars
Doreen serves as the Treasurer for REACH Waupun. When she’s not mentoring other bankers, Doreen enjoys spending time with her family (especially her granddaughter!) at her family’s cottage in northern Wisconsin. She loves spending time outside golfing, boating and snowmobiling.
Meet Steve Leaman
Chief Banking Officer, Senior Vice President
Steve takes great pride in working with his customers to uncover solutions to the financial situations that keep them up at night. He serves as the business client’s primary point of contact and key financial advisor for their relationship with Horicon Bank. Steve says that “through building relationships with business owners, I work on a local level to provide the best service to fit each individual business. I also take pride in serving the community. By being active in the community through volunteer work and my professional position, I have grown to care deeply about the success of the Fond du Lac community, and it is an honor to work for an institution that feels the same way.” Steve is a graduate of UW-Madison, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration. He has been recognized for his extensive community commitment by being named Volunteer of the Year by Envision Greater Fond du Lac, an honorary Paul Harris Fellow by Fond du Lac Noon Rotary, the Donald G. Jones Leadership Alumni Award as well as the Wisconsin Alumni Association “Badger of the Year.”
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Some Fun Info About Steve
Experience
Steve has more than 26 years of experience in the banking industry. He has been with Horicon Bank since 2011.
Expertise
Business Loans | Small Business Loans | Customer Service
Extracurriculars
Steve serves on the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac, Envision Greater Fond du Lac Ambassadors’ Club, Moraine Park Technical College Small Business and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, Leadership FDL and Youth Leadership Fond du Lac. In his “spare time,” Steve is an avid supporter of Badger athletics and the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, enjoys attending live concerts and loves to travel with his family, especially cruising and mini-golf with his grandson!
Meet Terry OConnor
Chief Lending Officer, Executive Vice President
Terry is passionate about helping commercial business customers and agricultural loan customers with their financing needs. From operating lines of credit and equipment term loans, to real estate construction/term loans, he has the knowledge and experience to find the right fit for business owners. Terry wants to help clients succeed financially. He enjoys reviewing customers’ financial statements and structuring a plan that helps them grow their business, build equity and achieve their goals. Terry graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in agricultural business management/ag finance.
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Some Fun Info About Terry
Experience
Terry has more than 37 years of experience in the banking industry. He has been with Horicon Bank since 1998.
Expertise
Agricultural Loans | Commercial C&I Loans | Commercial Real Estate Loans | Helping Clients Analyze Their Financial Statements and Structure Loans to Meet Short- and Long-term Goals
Extracurriculars
Terry currently serves as a board member for The Gathering Source Food Pantry. Terry also served as a board member for the YMCA of Dodge County, Beaver Dam Community Hospital, Dodge County United Way, Randolph Christian School, Columbia County Dairy Promotion Committee and others. Terry enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in Bible studies, biking, swimming, hiking, camping and most outdoor activities.
Meet Rose Petitte
Director of Business Development, Senior Vice President
Rose supports, coaches and mentors Horicon Bank’s market managers, branch managers, Customer Support Center and virtual banking specialists. She works closely with employees to help them develop and grow in their careers while deepening customer relationships to grow the bank. Rose enjoys supporting her community in her role and encourages her team to get involved by volunteering as well. Rose earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from UW-Milwaukee and is a graduate of and received an Executive Leadership Certificate from UW-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking. She serves as a committee member on the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s Retail Committee.
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Some Fun Info About Rose
Experience
Rose has more than 40 years of experience in the banking industry. She has been with Horicon Bank since 2011.
Expertise
Sales | Customer Experience | Coaching | Business Development
Extracurriculars
Rose is an active member of the West Bend community. She serves as president of the WB COLUMNS Scholarship Foundation, member of West Bend Noon Kiwanis, co-chair of the WB COLUMNS “Not Just A Walk In the Park 5K”, co-chair of the United Way Washington County campaign and volunteer for Junior Achievement. Rose loves to shop, walk and gets (at a minimum) 10,000 steps every day!
Meet Erik Stanton
Chief Risk Officer, Executive Vice President
As head of the Risk Management Department, Erik oversees the Credit Risk Management, Compliance, CRA, Security, and Audit functions of the bank. Within an Enterprise Risk Management framework, his team works to protect the bank, our customers, and our associates from financial, reputational, regulatory, physical, and other risks. Erik has enjoyed being the "jack-of-all trades" throughout his banking career, with involvement in every aspect and at every level of bank operations. With this position, he can put his years of experience to work from the board room to the back room. Erik graduated from University of Wisconsin – Platteville with a bachelor’s degree in finance and served as an FDIC examiner for 11 years. Erik joined Cornerstone Community Bank in 1998 as a commercial lender and served as the bank's Chief Financial Officer before their merger with Horicon Bank in 2023.
Some Fun Info About Erik
Experience
Erik has more than 35 years of experience in the banking industry.
Expertise
Customer Service| Building Relationships | Risk Management
Extracurriculars
Erik teaches religion and assists with Mass at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he volunteers with programs that aid his parish, promote Catholic education, and support pregnancy help centers, the poor and needy, and the intellectually disabled. In Erik’s spare time, he spends time with his wife, Heidi, and his six grown children. He also enjoys helping at his church, dining with friends, riding e-bikes, and long walks!
Meet Meredith Strieff
Retail Banking Officer, Senior Vice President
Meredith Strieff began her career at Horicon Bank in 2007 as a part-time teller and has since risen to the position of Senior Vice President of Retail Banking. Meredith holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is a 2024 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking and Center for Executive Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Meredith currently serves on the American Bankers Association(ABA) Emerging Leaders Council and is a 2023 ABA Emerging Leader Award recipient. Meredith's leadership is characterized by her dedication to professional development, strategic thinking, and innovation. She oversees retail banking, branch sales teams, customer support and virtual banking areas and multiple project teams, driving efficient and unique solutions for both Horicon Bank colleagues and customers. Meredith's curiosity and her ability to say "Yes!" to new challenges help keep Horicon Bank forward- thinking to best serve our Customers, our Communities, and our Associates.
Some Fun Info About Meredith
Experience
Meredith has more than 17 years of experience as she has been at Horicon Bank since 2007.
Expertise
Retail | Leadership | Training & Development | Customer Experience
Extracurriculars
Meredith serves as President on Board of Education for Horicon School District and Membership Chair for Horicon Athletic Booster Club. Meredith is from, as she says, the "real up-north" in Ashland, Wisconsin. She enjoys traveling, watching baseball and is a complete coffee addict.
Meet Robert Traylor
Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President
Robert leads the Bank’s Facilities department and Finance department, playing a major role in financial decisions at Horicon Bank. Robert earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University before becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the states of Louisiana and Wisconsin. He is also a graduate of UW-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking program and earned his Certificate of Executive Leadership from the UW-Madison School of Business.
Some Fun Info About Robert
Experience
Robert has more than 15 years of banking experience and has been with Horicon Bank since 2016.
Expertise
Accounting | Finance
Extracurriculars
Robert enjoys spending time with his family and coaching, playing, and watching sports.
Meet Cyrene Wilke
Chief Operations & Information Officer, Executive Vice President
Cyrene leads Horicon Bank’s technology, data and project management initiatives. “I love so many aspects of my work, from developing strategy to leading high performing teams,” said Cyrene. “In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to focus on nurturing an innovative culture and optimizing technology to improve both the customer and employee experience.” Cyrene is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking’s Digital Banking School and the Center for Exceptional Leadership at St. Norbert College.
Some Fun Info About Cyrene
Experience
Cyrene has nearly three decades of progressive experience in the banking industry working in various roles including marketing, human resources, accounting, credit administration, operations & technology. She has been with Horicon Bank since 2021.
Expertise
Digital Banking | Customer Experience | Risk Management | Process Improvement | Operations | Technology | Leadership | Innovation