Mike Thomas

Mike Thomas joined Castle Creek® in July 2008 as a Principal. He has 40 years of experience in the banking industry. Prior to joining Castle Creek®, Mr. Thomas was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, where he was responsible for strategic leadership and the restructuring of the $80+ billion asset wholesale bank. Immediately prior to that, he spent three years as an independent financial advisor to several financial service companies. Mr. Thomas began his banking career at the First National Bank of Chicago, where he spent 21 years in a variety of roles including Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Co-head of Merchant Banking, and Co-head of Corporate and Institutional Banking. He then served for over six years as a partner at Lazard Freres & Co, where he advised top management and boards of directors of banks, brokerage firms, and insurance companies on major strategic transactions. Mr. Thomas is a director and the Chairman of the Audit Committee of NorthShore University HealthSystem, a not-for-profit healthcare organization. He is also a Director and Chairman of the Investment & Finance Committee of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc., a diversified casualty insurance company located in Houston. Mr. Thomas holds a BA in economics from Duke University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.