City National
Over 60 years
of service to
entrepreneurs,
their businesses
and their families.
City National is known for helping clients on The way up® – and
beyond. Since its 1954 beginnings in a small office on South Beverly
Drive in Beverly Hills, the bank has provided highly responsive
service to clients that range from start-ups to stars.
Although City National has grown to be one of the largest banks
in the United States, it is still very much the same bank that it was
more than 60 years ago. That’s because the founders had a vision:
to create a strong, stable financial institution that would always place
the needs and interests of its clients first.
City National has not wavered from that mission. It is the engine
that propels our continued growth and success. With a solid presence
in five states, City National offers clients access to all the resources
they need to succeed across the country and around the world.
City National headquarters at City National Plaza,
downtown Los Angeles.
Chairman and CEO
Bram Goldsmith was recognized
for his leadership.
Chairman and CEO,
Russell Goldsmith, rang
the NYSE closing bell on
December 4, 2002.
Blue, City National’s playful mascot
for its Reading is The way up®
child literacy program.
Actress Donna Reed (second from left) at a new
City National branch ribbon cutting ceremony,
with future Chairman and CEO Bram Goldsmith
looking on (far right).
City National’s first two ground-floor
offices open in Manhattan.
General Omar Bradley (center) breaking ground for
one of the bank’s new offices is joined by Chairman and
President Al Hart (fifth from left) and future Chairman
and CEO Bram Goldsmith (third from left).
Entertainer Jack Benny at
a bank promotional event.
City National executives watch
the first trade of CYN stock on
May 17, 1990, on the floor of
the New York Stock Exchange.
City National client and long-time friend Frank Sinatra (left)
with Chairman and President Al Hart (center) and Rosalind
Russell (right).
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In 1954, a small group of Beverly Hills entre­
preneurs, led by businessman and Columbia
Pictures board member Al Hart, saw a need –
and a business opportunity. They knew from
personal experience that having a bank on your
side could make all the difference. The big downtown banks catered to large corporations and
weren’t meeting the needs of small and mediumsized businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals and
members of the entertainment community.
City National was on its way to becoming
“The Bank to the Stars” as Hollywood’s accountants and business managers began to embrace
the company’s relationship banking and industry
expertise. The moniker really took hold in 1963,
when the world learned that City National had
advanced Frank Sinatra the ransom money to
free his kidnapped son. Sinatra’s son was released
unharmed, the kidnappers were soon brought to
justice, and the money was returned.
Bram Goldsmith (second from right)
expanded the bank regionally, opening new
branches like this one in Encino, California.
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Elected Chairman of the Board and CEO in
1975, Bram Goldsmith launched City National
Bank on a dynamic new trajectory.
The bank’s unique ability to combine the
personal attention of a community bank with the
lending capabilities and services found at larger
institutions appealed to entrepreneurs and professionals. City National surpassed its growth targets,
and by 1978 its assets exceeded $1 billion.
Space Shuttle Endeavour graces the sky above City National’s Los Angeles
Airport office on September 21, 2012, as it journeys to its
permanent home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
City National Plaza – 300,000 square feet of
office space in downtown Los Angeles.
City National Mobile provides clients with
anytime, anywhere access.
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With nearly $5 billion in assets, City National
became the 10th largest bank in California.
The New York Stock Exchange listed City
National Corporation under the ticker symbol
“CYN.” Russell Goldsmith was elected Chairman
of the Board and CEO of City National Bank.
City National Bank entered the new millennium
by expanding into New York City and Nevada.
As City National marks its 60th year of service
and success, the company continues to invest in
new talent, products, technology and capabilities.
The bank expanded to Nashville and Atlanta to
better serve the music industry, opened its first
two ground-floor branches in New York City and
brought its growing technology and venture
capital banking business to the East Coast.
The bank’s entertainment division entered the
film financing arena by providing “bridge” loans
to finance a motion picture’s day-to-day production and accepting distribution rights as collateral.
Major studios and savvy independents flocked to
the bank. City National delivered the financing
for such Oscar® winners as “The Silence of the
Lambs” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”
With its reputation for unmatched client attention, the bank ramped up its high-net-worth services, creating a separate private banking division.
This move enabled the bank to better serve its
growing private client base.
Russell Goldsmith welcomed clients and prospects, encouraging them to “experience the unique
brand of highly personalized relationship banking
that has earned City National its reputation as
California’s Premier Private and Business Bank.®”
City National moved its headquarters to
City National Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.
City National Mobile was launched for
clients on the go and two important acquisitions
were completed in 2012: Rochdale Investment
Management, which merged with City National
Asset Management to form City National
Rochdale, and First American Equipment Finance.
Barron’s recognized City National as
one of America’s top wealth managers for the
13th year in a row.
Today, City National is bigger, better, safer and
stronger than ever, with more than $29 billion
in total assets and 75 branches – including
16 regional centers – serving clients in five states.
CNB MEMBER FDIC
3120.04
01/15