Company: BWFG
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001505732-25-000079
Chunk: 12

Company: Bankwell Financial Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 12
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 digital financial products, regulatory compliance and information risk management for banks and other financial services companies provides our Board of Directors with valuable expertise to support innovation initiatives and compliance and risk management matters.

Carl M. Porto, Esq., Director. Mr. Porto is an attorney and former Managing Principal in the law firm of Parrett, Porto, Parese & Colwell, Professional Corporation, from 1969 to 2018, with offices in Hamden, Bridgeport and Guilford. Mr. Porto was formerly on the boards of The Bank of New Haven, Start Bank (n/k/a New Haven Bank), Citizens Bank of Connecticut and Citizens Bank of Rhode Island. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the New Haven County Bar Association. He received a B.A. from Boston University and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Mr. Porto’s legal and business expertise are valuable to our Board of Directors.

Lawrence B. Seidman, Director . Mr. Seidman has served as Manager of Seidman and Associates, LLC and related investment groups located in Parsippany, New Jersey, the principal business of which includes investments in financial institutions since 1995. Mr. Seidman formerly served on the board of Stonegate Bank from January 2009 to September 2018, ASB Bancorp Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Asheville Savings Bank, from February 2016 to September 2018, Center Bancorp, Inc. from May 2007 to July 2014, Naugatuck Valley Financial Corporation from November 2014 to January 2016, MSB Financial Corp. and its banking subsidiary Millington Bank from July 2016 to July 2020. Mr. Seidman is a Trustee for Young Mens & Young Womens Hebrew Association. Mr. Seidman’s extensive experience with publicly-held financial institutions, as both a director and an investor, are valuable to our Board of Directors.

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### INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT
A brief description of the background of each of our executive officers who is not also a director nominee is set forth below. No executive officer has any family relationship, as defined in Item 401 of Regulation S-K, with any other executive officer or director.

Steven H. Brunner, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of the Company and the Bank. Mr. Brunner, age 43, joined the Company in August 2022 as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer.