Umpqua Bank Launches Oregon Corporate Banking Division

Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:UMPQ), has launched an Oregon corporate banking division to expand its commercial and industrial loan portfolio. To lead the effort, Brad Bleything has joined Umpqua Bank as senior vice president and manager of Oregon corporate banking.

Bleything comes to Umpqua from Bank of the West, where he most recently served as senior vice president and regional manager. He has more than 35 years of banking and financial advising experience and is charged with developing and overseeing all aspects of Umpqua’s newly formed group.

"Brad has great expertise in the corporate banking industry and we’re pleased to have him on board,” said Brad Copeland, senior executive vice president and chief credit officer. "With Brad’s leadership, our commercial team is well-positioned to expand Umpqua’s commercial and industrial loan offerings, providing regional businesses with the financial products and services they need to grow and succeed.”

Umpqua’s corporate banking division is dedicated to serving manufacturers, distributors and other core businesses. The division will specialize in providing a full array of tailored financial products and services to mid-market businesses with annual revenues generally ranging from $5 million to $50 million.

About Brad Bleything

Bleything held a number of positions during his tenure with Bank of the West, including oversight of retail and commercial banking responsibilities in Oregon and Washington. Before joining Bank of the West, he spent 12 years with West One Bank leading mid-market lending activities and later community bank management.

A native Oregonian, Bleything attended Oregon State University and earned a graduate degree from Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. An active member of the community, he currently sits on the boards of the University Club of Portland, Portland Youth Philharmonic and Opera Theater Oregon. He also volunteers as a youth music mentor and serves as a faculty member of the Pacific Coast Banking School.

About Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ) and has 150 locations between Napa, Calif. and Bellevue, Wash., along the Oregon and Northern California Coast and in both Central California and Central Oregon. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for the past three years in a row on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the country’s "100 Best Companies To Work For.” Umpqua Holdings also owns retail brokerage subsidiary Umpqua Investments, which has locations in Umpqua Bank stores and in dedicated offices throughout Oregon. Umpqua Bank's Private Bank provides tailored financial services and products to individual customers. Umpqua Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.umpquabank.com/.

**Photo available upon request**