City National Appoints Perry Wong As Senior Economist

LOS ANGELES, March 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank, California's Premier Private and Business Bank ^®, today announced that Perry Wong has joined the company as its senior economist.

(For an image of Wong, go to http://www.cnb.com/images/photos/perry-wong.jpg )

Wong, who has more than 20 years of experience in applied economics, consulting and management, will compile, analyze and interpret economic information so that City National's colleagues and clients can better anticipate economic trends.

Formerly with the Milken Institute, Wong will chair the City National Economic Strategy Council – which consists of 15 top executives, including the bank's CEO Russell Goldsmith. He will report to Chris Carey, City National's executive vice president and chief financial officer.

"We are very pleased to have Perry join City National," said Carey. "He brings years of experience analyzing regional economies, and his hands-on experience with economic forecasting and impact analysis will be particularly helpful. Perry will be a key addition to the company's leadership team."

Wong, who was formerly the director of regional economics at the Milken Institute in Santa Monica, is a senior economist and expert on regional economics, development and econometric forecasting. He has extensive knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the Asian and Pacific Rim countries. He is the author of more than two dozen research papers and a frequent public speaker. He is quoted regularly by major media, including National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. Prior to joining the Milken Institute in 1998, he was the senior economist and director of regional forecasting for Global Insight, Inc., where he managed regional quarterly state and metropolitan area forecasts and provided consultation.

"I am so thrilled to be joining a thought-leader like City National Bank – a company that has stayed profitable for 18 consecutive years by accurately predicting trends and avoiding financial industry potholes," said Wong. "City National is growing rapidly, and I'm excited to be a part of that growth."