Steve Bell is Chairman and CEO of the Western Region at Northern Trust. In this position he is responsible for managing the company’s investment management, trust and estate planning, private and business banking and financial consulting business in California, Nevada and Washington.

Previously, Steve served as the head of the Wealth Management Group, a specialized unit of The Northern Trust Company which addresses the complex financial requirements of U.S. and international families who maintain single family offices. During his 27 year career at Northern Trust, he also built and ran the private banking business for Northern Trust Bank of California (1991-1997), served as a commercial real estate lender (1989-1990), worked with Chicago middle market owner/operators (1983-1988), and served as a supervisor in the Financial Analysis Division (1982-1983).

Steve received his A.B. degree with honors in economics from Duke University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. He received his M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago, with a concentration in Finance. He joined Northern Trust Company in 1982.

Steve has served as an officer and board member with various charitable, civic and educational organizations in Chicago and San Francisco. Currently Steve serves on the boards of SF Jazz and Team Up for Youth. He and his wife Susan reside in Menlo Park. Susan is the Vice President for The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Andy Chou is the Region President for the Northern Trust Company in Santa Barbara. 

Mr. Chou began his career in 1988 with the former Chemical Banking Corporation and Chemical Securities, Inc. in New York where he graduated from the Corporate Finance and Investment Banking Management Training Program. He then accepted permanent assignments within the Mergers & Acquisitions and Structured Finance Groups where he focused on leveraged buyouts and special situation financing including turnarounds, restructurings, and recapitalizations. His most notable transactions include the buyouts of RJR Nabisco, Kroger Supermarkets, and Ethan Allen, Inc.

In 1993, he took an assignment to co-originate the Corporate Finance Group at Fuji Bank in New York. Subsequent to originating a $1.2 billion leveraged finance portfolio at Fuji Bank, Andy accepted a position with Heller Financial, a subsidiary of Fuji Bank, to specialize in middle market leveraged buyouts and to develop and strengthen relationships with private equity sponsor groups.

In 1998, Andy left the corporate finance arena to launch an internet start-up engaged in business-to-business e-commerce. After developing and raising capital for the business, Andy effected a strategic merger for this venture and returned to corporate finance, initially accepting a position with the FleetBoston Financial Group in Los Angeles prior to ultimately joining Northern Trust in Santa Barbara in 2000.

Mr. Chou graduated with distinction from Vassar College with an A.B. in Economics and East Asian studies where he was a Ford Scholar. He is a also a member of American Mensa.  Mr. Chou is active in the local community; he serves on the Board of the Lobero Theatre Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy/Work Inc. and the Anti-Defamation League. In addition, he serves as a Finance Committee Member for the Direct Relief International, Laguna Cottages for Seniors and is a member of the Santa Barbara Investment Forum and Birnam Wood Golf Club.

Andy lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Lynn, who is the founder and owner of Mieko Skin Products.