Great Western Bancorp, Inc. announced that effective October 1, 2018, Executive Vice President & Regional President Doug Bass will assume the role of President and Chief Operating Officer. As Chairman and CEO, Ken Karels will continue to lead the Company but will shift focus towards long-term strategy, business expansion and acquisition activities, board governance and regulatory relations. In his new role, Bass will be responsible for implementing technological and strategic initiatives and overall loan and deposit growth, De novo office expansion, operating efficiency, and People & Culture. Bass will report to Chairman and CEO Karels in his new role. Bass, 57, has over 36 years of banking experience and has worked in various capacities with Great Western Bank since 2009. He has served in his current role since 2010. Before joining Great Western Bank, Bass served as President of First American Bank Group. Bass also served in various capacities over 15 years with Firstar Corporation, now known as US Bank, including as President and Chief Executive Officer of Firstar’s Sioux City and Council Bluffs operations in western Iowa and as Manager of Correspondent Banking for its eastern Iowa operations, which also included responsibility for commercial banking and agribusiness lending. Bass will be based in Sioux Falls, SD.