Dominik Mjartan is on a mission to make the banking system a force that fuels broad based prosperity and opportunity for all. He enjoys leading organizational transformation and strategic execution of large-scale initiatives. In every endeavor, Mjartan seeks to maximize total value for all stakeholders.

Recently joined American Bancorp and its subsidiary American Pride Bank as CEO. Mjartan currently serves as Vice Chairman of Optus Bank, Optus Financial Corporation, and Optus Community Capital. He previously served as President and CEO of Optus from 2017 until August 2024. Under his leadership, Optus Bank built on its legacy of financial inclusion and transformed into a high-performing, innovative, digital, mission-driven bank. Optus’ total assets increased more than 1,100% and increased common equity growth by more than 240%.

Previously, Mjartan spent more than a decade as a senior executive officer at a leading community development bank, Southern Bancorp, most recently as the Executive Vice President of Southern Bancorp, Inc., a holding company for Southern Bancorp Bank and CEO of an affiliated lending company Southern Bancorp Community Partners. He led the strategic realignment and transformation of the Southern Bancorp enterprise from a $400 million community bank to a $1.2 billion financial institution.

He is a founding director of Climate First Bank, a director of the Community Development Bankers Association, a director of the National Bankers Association and was formerly Chair of the CDFI Coalition. In 2022, Dominik was appointed by the Chairman of the FDIC to the FDIC Community Bank Advisory Board and in 2023, reappointed to another term. He has also served as Chair, Finance Chair or Director of numerous community development and education organizations.

You can hear Mjartan on NPR’s Marketplace, where he is a regular guest. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, and other national platforms discussing banking trends, innovations and financial inclusion. He was recently recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Southeast Region of the U.S.

Dominik immigrated to the U.S. from the former Czechoslovakia at the age of 16. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and as a Donaghey Scholar with a B.S. in management from University of Arkansas Little Rock. He then earned an MBA at the University of Ulster in United Kingdom, graduating with distinction.

He has three children with his wife of 22 years, Georgia Mjartan who is President and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation.