Columbia Banking System (COLB) investor relations material

Operational performance and strategic focus

• Core operations remain steady with a focus on profitability over growth, supported by seasonal deposit upticks and disciplined loan origination.

• Most employees experience business as usual, while integration efforts impact facilities, technology, and operations due to the Pacific Premier Bancorp acquisition.

• The company is not pressured to build infrastructure for the $100 billion threshold, focusing instead on remixing the balance sheet and maintaining profitability at around $70 billion in assets.

• Scale is now considered sufficient, with a unique market presence along the West Coast and a focus on being a top-tier regional performer.

Pacific Premier Bancorp acquisition and integration

• The acquisition accelerates strategic goals in Southern California by a decade, providing significant market density and a high-quality deposit base.

• Early integration shows high engagement and cross-business referrals, with every branch making new referrals.

• Training for the new team starts imminently, focusing on relationship selling rather than promotional pricing.

• Leadership structure remains largely intact, with local leaders retained and paired with existing management for smooth integration.

• The acquisition is seen as the final piece for scale, with no immediate plans for further M&A activity.

Growth strategy and market expansion

• Southern California expansion is now complete, shifting investment focus to mountain states like Utah and Colorado, where early results show strong deposit and loan growth.

• Arizona market build-out is essentially done, with future growth dependent on adding key bankers rather than new branches.

• Newer markets are managed with lean teams, achieving high performance with minimal investment.