Brian F. Wagner

Brian F. Wagner currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, drawing on his extensive banking background of some 15 years, primarily leading Human Resources functions in large commercial banking organizations.

As a senior certified HR professional, Mr. Wagner has more than 20 years of practice in the areas of strategic human capital planning, employee relations, talent and performance management, corporate staffing & sourcing, organizational development, and employee experience. He has created and improved multiple processes involving new-hire orientation, talent selection & assessment utilization, instilling coaching cultures with modeled behaviors, training and development, recognition platforms, total rewards programs, employee engagement, and retention strategies.

Prior to joining City First Bank in July 2021, Mr. Wagner spent 14 years with BB&T (now Truist), BBVA USA (now PNC), and most recently, EagleBank Corp. He has served as Regional Employment Manager in Texas to build brand, culture, and HR presence and as a Senior Talent & HR Advisor, customizing leadership solutions for executive leaders throughout the U.S.

Mr. Wagner commits his profession to the theory and application of organizational behavior, the values of a dynamic culture, and how aligning employee personal values to the organization’s values is critical for success and long-term profitability. He is responsible for the leadership and oversight of all HR plans, policies, procedures, and strategies to support the achievement of the bank’s overall strategic business objectives, leading as a strategic business consultant to the senior leadership team and across all lines of business regarding key organizational and management issues or challenges.

He functions as the mergers and acquisition lead in project planning (pre and post-acquisition), partnering with ideal team members to raise any due diligence HR-related compliance issues, finance, legal, and other aspects of the integration to execution. Additionally, he develops, designs, and administers compensation and comprehensive benefit plans based on corporate compensation philosophy. He utilizes strategic talent acquisition and retention plans to meet the organization’s human capital needs, leveraging skills-based hiring and assessments.

He earned his MBA and B.S. in Business Management and Human Resources from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Wagner is a certified senior professional in human resources and HRCI and is certified in human resources management.