0001327607FALSE00013276072024-06-052024-06-05


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 5, 2024

FIRST WESTERN FINANCIAL, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Colorado001-3859537-1442266
(State or other jurisdiction of(Commission(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)File Number)Identification No.)
1900 16th Street, Suite 1200
Denver, Colorado
80202
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 531-8100

Former name or former address, if changed since last report: Not Applicable

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class    Trading Symbol    Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, no par valueMYFWThe Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

oEmerging growth company
oIf an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
.







Item 5.02           Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
First Western Financial Inc. held its annual meeting of shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) on June 5, 2024. At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s shareholders elected a new board member, Ellen S. Robinson to replace retiring board member Eric D. Sipf, effective immediately.
Ms. Robinson is Principal and Founder of the Robinson Coaching Group, Inc. since 2007. Robinson Coaching Group, Inc. provides leadership development and coaching on an individual and team level in both the private and public sectors. Ms. Robinson is a former Executive and General Manager of Denver Pepsi Cola and has served as Founder and CEO of EventConnex, President of Ascent Sports, Inc. and Brand Manager for Frito-Lay, Inc. She has significant experience in building effective teams, coaching and mentoring talent and driving change. Ms. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Robinson received her Professional Coach Certification from New Ventures West in 2012. Ms. Robinson is a seasoned business leader with a particular interest and expertise in leadership development and coaching on an individual and team level. Her qualifications for service as a director include her proven expertise in sales, marketing, building effective teams, coaching and mentoring talent. She has been a successful executive and coach in large corporate and smaller, entrepreneurial business environments. The Board appointed Ms. Robinson to serve on the Audit Committee.

The Board has determined that Ms. Robinson is independent under the rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market. There are no arrangements or understanding between Ms. Robinson and any other person pursuant to which she was selected as director. Additionally, there are no related party transactions involving the Registrant and Ms. Robinson that the Registrant would be required to disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of the Regulation S-K. Ms. Robinson will be compensated in accordance with the Company’s standard compensation policies and practices for non-employee directors.

Item 7.01    Reg FD Disclosure

On June 6, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Ellen S. Robinson to the Board of Directors. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K. The information furnished in this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by a specific reference in such filing.




Item 9.01           Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d)         Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
    Description
99.1
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are embedded in the Inline XBRL document)
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
    FIRST WESTERN FINANCIAL, INC.
Date: June 10, 2024
By: /s/ David R. Weber
David R. Weber
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer



Exhibit 99.1
myfw-20221020xex99d1001a.jpgmyfw-20221020xex99d1001a.jpg
First Western Financial, Inc. Announces Addition of Ellen S. Robinson to Board of Directors

June 6, 2024

DENVER, June 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYFW), a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado (“First Western” or the “Company”), today announced the appointment of Ellen S. Robinson to the Company’s Board of Directors, as well as the retirement of Eric D. Sipf from the Board of Directors.

Scott C. Wylie, Chairman and CEO of First Western, said, “We are very pleased to welcome Ellen Robinson to our Board of Directors. Ellen has been a prominent member of the Denver business community for many years and has been a successful executive in large corporate and smaller, entrepreneurial business environments. She is a seasoned business leader with a particular interest and expertise in leadership development and coaching on an individual and team level. Ellen further strengthens our Board of Directors with her proven expertise in sales, marketing, building effective teams, coaching and mentoring talent.

“We would also like to thank Eric Sipf for his many years of valuable service to our company. Eric was a founding director and a leader on our board for 20 years, including serving as the chair of the audit committee for 15 years. His guidance, expertise, and leadership have been extremely valuable as we have grown our franchise over the past 20 years and we wish him well in his retirement,” said Mr. Wylie.

About Ellen S. Robinson

Ellen S. Robinson is Principal and Founder of the Robinson Coaching Group, Inc. since 2007. Robinson Coaching Group, Inc. provides leadership development and coaching on an individual and team level in both the private and public sectors. Ms. Robinson is a former Executive and General Manager of Denver Pepsi Cola. Ms. Robinson has served as Founder and CEO of EventConnex, President of Ascent Sports, Inc. and Brand Manager for Frito-Lay, Inc. She has significant experience in building effective teams, coaching and mentoring talent and driving change. Ms. Robinson received her Professional Coach Certification from New Ventures West in 2012.

Ms. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

About First Western Financial, Inc.

First Western is a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with operations in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana. First Western and its subsidiaries provide a fully integrated suite of wealth management services on a private trust bank platform, which includes a comprehensive selection of deposit, loan, trust, wealth planning and investment management products and services. First Western’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MYFW.” For more information, please visit www.myfw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements



Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business and markets are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “position,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “opportunity,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Those risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the lack of soundness of other financial institutions or financial market utilities may adversely affect the Company; the Company’s ability to engage in routine funding and other transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions; financial institutions are interrelated because of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships; defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial institutions or financial market utilities, or the financial services industry generally, may lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses of client, creditor and counterparty confidence and could lead to losses or defaults by other financial institutions, or the Company; integration risks and projected cost savings in connection with acquisitions; the risk of geographic concentration in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana; the risk of changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity; the risk in our ability to continue to originate residential real estate loans and sell such loans; risks specific to commercial loans and borrowers; the risk of claims and litigation pertaining to our fiduciary responsibilities; the risk of competition for investment managers and professionals; the risk of fluctuation in the value of our investment securities; the risk of changes in interest rates; and the risk of the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses and the risk in our ability to maintain a strong core deposit base or other low-cost funding sources. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 15, 2024 (“Form 10-K”), and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. We urge readers of this news release to review the “Risk Factors” section our Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors set forth in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other filings with the SEC. Also, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, which speak only as of today’s date, or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:
Financial Profiles, Inc.
Tony Rossi
310-622-8221
MYFW@finprofiles.com
IR@myfw.com
2
v3.24.1.1.u2
Cover Page
Jun. 05, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Jun. 05, 2024
Entity Registrant Name FIRST WESTERN FINANCIAL, INC.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code CO
Entity File Number 001-38595
Entity Tax Identification Number 37-1442266
Entity Address, Address Line One 1900 16th Street
Entity Address, Address Line Two Suite 1200
Entity Address, City or Town Denver
Entity Address, State or Province CO
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 80202
City Area Code 303
Local Phone Number 531-8100
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
Title of 12(b) Security Common Stock, no par value
Trading Symbol MYFW
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ
Entity Central Index Key 0001327607
Amendment Flag false
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