Virginia is the President and Head of Community Banking for SoFi, a recent tech entry into the banking industry. Virginia first entered the banking industry on the regulatory side in 1984. Her regulatory exposure is deep with roles at the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Federal Home Bank of San Francisco, the U.S. Treasury, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Virginia was the first female banker to conduct bank evaluations in the treasury department and federal home loan institution in San Francisco. When Virginia left the regulatory side of banking, she pursued roles in the community banking sector. Initially, Virginia joined the Bank of the Orient in San Francisco, guiding it through some regulator issues, then became the CEO of the Bank of Rio Vista. In 2013, Virginia Varela became the CEO of Golden Pacific Bank and a member of Golden Pacific Bancorp’s Board of Directors. SmartBiz was founded in part by Golden Pacific Bank.
