When Signature Bank opened its doors in August 2006, three entrepreneurs set out with a clear and somewhat unconventional vision: build a commercial bank rooted in relationships – not transactions.
Mick O’Rourke, Kevin Bastuga and Bryan Duncan were seasoned commercial bankers, but they were entrepreneurs at heart. They raised capital, wrote a business plan and left established institutions to create something they believed was missing in the market – a bank built for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.
Twenty years later, that conviction still defines Signature Bank.
Through economic expansion, recession, a global pandemic and industry-wide liquidity turbulence, the bank has remained grounded in the same belief: long-term success is built on trust – and trust is built through relationships.
Relationships with a capital “R”
From the beginning, the founders envisioned something different.
They saw privately held companies and multi-generational family businesses searching for banking partners who understood not just their balance sheets, but their stories. They believed business owners preferred to work with people who had taken risks themselves – who understood payroll pressure, succession planning and the weight of long-term decision-making.
That entrepreneurial empathy became the cornerstone of the bank’s model.
“Business owners appreciate when their partners understand their world,” said Kevin Bastuga. “We launched our own business. We’ve built payroll. We understand the pressures. That perspective impacts how you relate to clients.”
Relationship banking at Signature Bank has never meant proximity alone. It means access to decision-makers. It means listening before advising. It means evaluating opportunities individually rather than through rigid formulas. It means staying present – especially when circumstances become difficult.
That philosophy has been tested repeatedly.
During the Great Recession, the founders ensured that Signature Bank maintained disciplined underwriting while continuing to support qualified borrowers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teams worked around the clock to ensure clients secured Paycheck Protection Program loans quickly and accurately. In 2023, when an unrelated institution with a similar name failed, Mick, Kevin and Bryan hit the phones – proactively calling clients to reassure them, provide clarity and affirm they were available for questions any time, day or night.
In each case, the result was the same: relationships endured because they had been built deliberately over time.
“When people think of the term relationship, they think about a relationship with a small r. When we use the word relationship, it’s relationship with a capital R,” said Mick.
For Signature Bank’s founders, that distinction matters. A small “r” relationship may be transactional. A capital “R” relationship is built on consistency and accountability over time.
Relationships inside the bank
The founders’ vision for relationship banking was never limited to clients. From the beginning, Mick, Kevin and Bryan understood that the strength of the bank externally would depend on the strength of relationships internally.
They set the tone early: leadership would be accessible; titles would not create distance. No job would be beneath anyone. Accountability would be shared. If the bank was built on trust, that trust had to exist inside its walls first.
Over time, that example shaped the culture.
When employees describe Signature Bank, one word surfaces consistently: family. It reflects a workplace where colleagues rely on one another, where leaders remain visible and approachable, and where success is collective.
For those who have been part of the bank since its earliest days, the 20-year milestone carries deep meaning. “This anniversary means everything to me. I’m honestly proud every single day,” commented one employee.
That pride is rooted in shared experiences – each year, over the years: the 2006 grand opening, annual holiday parties that welcome employees’ spouses and children, music festivals and boat excursions, and 5-10-15 milestone celebrations marking growth (not just in assets but in people). There’s the comedy of traditional annual white elephant exchanges, and reflective memories of the intense, around-the-clock effort during the pandemic when teams rallied to ensure clients received the support they needed.
These moments are not incidental; they reinforce the culture.
Modern capabilities, enduring values
Over the past 20 years, commercial banking has changed dramatically – and Mick, Kevin and Bryan ensured that Signature Bank evolved alongside it.
From the beginning, the founders understood that strong relationships naturally expand over time. As clients grew, so did the complexity of their financial lives. Business owners were no longer seeking support solely for deposits and loans. They needed guidance around investment strategy, multi-generational wealth transfer, estate planning and fiduciary oversight.
Rather than refer those needs elsewhere, Signature Bank chose to deepen the relationship.
The bank expanded its Wealth Management offerings, strengthening its investment advisory capabilities and building a team focused on aligning financial strategies with clients’ broader personal and business goals. More recently, Signature launched Signature Trust Company, developed in partnership with Midwest Trust, bringing professional fiduciary and estate planning services into the bank’s relationship network.
“Our clients look to us for more than day-to-day banking. We’re here to serve that full financial picture for business and family operations,” said Bryan Duncan. “Expanding service lines was a natural extension of elevating our clients’ experiences.”
These expanded capabilities reflect – and strengthen – the bank’s relationship model.
Modernization has extended beyond advisory services. Digital platforms, real-time payments, enhanced treasury tools and layered fraud protection are now expected in commercial banking, and Signature Bank has invested continuously in modernizing its digital and treasury capabilities to meet those expectations.
Yet technology has never been viewed as a replacement for relationships. It is an enabler.
Integrated systems reduce administrative burden so bankers can spend more time advising, anticipating needs and identifying risk. Modern tools create efficiency, but accessible leadership and direct communication preserve connection.
As Signature Bank evolved – from services to technology – the founders made sure that one principle remained constant: modernization should always enrich the client experience, not diminish it.
Looking ahead: The next 20 years
For Mick, Kevin and Bryan, 20 years is a major milestone – and also a beginning.
“We wrote a business plan in 2005, and we’ve stayed remarkably consistent with it,” said Kevin Bastuga. “When you know who you are and who you serve, you don’t need to chase every trend. You just keep strengthening the relationships.”
The same mindset that led three bankers to leave secure careers and open a bank in 2006 still drives the organization forward. It is grounded in calculated risk, long-term thinking and personal accountability.
By remaining committed to relationship banking, Signature Bank is positioned to consistently grow and excel in its service offerings, even as the industry evolves around it.
“We built this bank on relationships grounded in trust, on capabilities that evolve with purpose, and on leadership that remains accessible,” said Mick O’Rourke. “That was our vision in 2006. It’s still our vision today – and it’s what will guide us for the next 20 years.”
