Our Team
Beacon Business Bankers
Kristin Ditlevsen
Senior Vice President, Business Development & Commercial Lending
NMLS #1120068
Direct: (650) 418-6295
Kristin Ditlevsen comes to Beacon Business Bank with over 30 years of experience in commercial lending and ten years in executive management in the SF Bay Area Banking Industry. She has focused on Commercial Real Estate and Construction financing in her two most recent roles. She is also an experienced C&I and SBA lender. In addition, Kristin enjoys working with clients to help them plan and fund their growth and acquisitions.
Most recently, Kristin held the position of Senior Vice President Managing Director of Business Development at Liberty Bank in South San Francisco. She has experience in both community and regional-sized banks, including 18 years at Comerica Bank. “I look forward to introducing customers to Beacon Business Bank. This organization is highly customer focused and can make decisions very quickly.”
Kristin will be working from our San Mateo office, focusing on new business acquisition and community involvement. She currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and is on the Board of Directors for Sitike Counseling Center in South San Francisco. In addition, she has formerly served on the Boards for United Way of Santa Cruz, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Capitola Aptos Rotary Club.
Kristin is originally from the Santa Cruz area; she holds a BS in Finance and Economics from San Jose State University. She enjoys spending her spare time with friends and family and loves to travel.
J.C. Avakian
Senior Vice President, Business Development & Commercial Lending
Direct: (415) 297-0489
J.C. Avakian has joined Beacon Business Bank as Senior Vice President, Business Development & Commercial Lending. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his previous role as a Commercial Relationship Manager at Fremont Bank and Executive Director Client Manager at JP Morgan's Chase Commercial Term Lending. Before joining Chase, he was a Senior Commercial Loan Officer with Wells Fargo.
Avakian is skilled at developing creative, customized solutions for commercial real estate investors and business owners. He has a B.A. in Economics from Boston University. J.C. lives in San Francisco with his wife and two kid. He is passionate about youth sports, and for the last 15 years, he has coached middle school basketball and officiated high school football games throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Stacy Diep
Vice President, Relationship Manager
NMLS #1172178
Direct: (415) 602-8810
Stacy Diep joined Beacon Business Bank in March 2020 as Vice President, Relationship Manager. She brings 24 years of banking experience working with large national banks, as well as medium sized and small community banks. Her background includes operational, managerial, and lending, which makes her a well-rounded Relationship Manager.
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from San Francisco State University.
Stacy has volunteered with the National Kidney Foundation, Aids Walk, Special Olympic, the Pulmonary Society and the American Cancer Society. She is a resident of San Mateo County and will be working out of the San Mateo Branch.
Amir Zahedani
Vice President, Head of Retail Banking & Client Relations Manager
NMLS #742744
Direct: (650) 689-2304
Zahedani, who graduated from Hillsdale High School and attended San Jose State, has extensive senior level banking expertise on the Peninsula. He is also an active member of the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce. He will manage San Mateo retail branch as well as work with local companies to obtain the financial and banking products that will help them grow their businesses.
“Having grown up and gone to school in San Mateo and Foster City,” he said, “I am proud to work for a business bank whose core philosophy is to deliver services with a personal touch. This is my home and I want to work to help its local business community prosper.”