Executive Committee
Experienced leaders who make a difference
Committed to excellence and growth.
Executive Committee
Bill Bruss
President and CEO
Bill Bruss, President and CEO of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc., joined the company in 1997 as General Counsel. Promoted to Senior Vice President in 2006, Bill took on additional responsibilities when he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc., in 2013. In 2022, he began serving as President, before assuming his current role in 2024. Prior to joining the company, Bill spent three years in private legal practice, including representing WaterStone Bank in a variety of legal matters, and brings a robust legal background to his leadership at WaterStone Bank. A Marquette Law School J.D. graduate in 1994, he also holds a B.A. from St. Olaf College (1991).
Mark R. Gerke
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Mark R. Gerke joined WaterStone Bank as Corporate Controller in 2005 and progressed to Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer of Waterstone Financial, Inc., the holding company of WaterStone Bank in 2014. In June of 2016, he was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc. Prior to his tenure at WaterStone, Mark worked in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, a global professional services firm, including as Senior Manager in Assurance Services.
Mark is engaged in community service, holding a position on the Advisory Board for Best Buddies Wisconsin. A Certified Public Accountant since 2002, Mark graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with degrees in accounting and business administration.
Julie Glynn
Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer
Julie Glynn joined WaterStone Bank in 2016, bringing more than 30 years of high-level banking experience. Throughout her banking career, Julie has held various positions, including her current role as Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer, showcasing proficiency in corporate strategy, colleague experience, and retail management. Her background spans business development, sales leadership, operational integrity, and active community service.
Currently, Julie holds positions on multiple boards, including serving as a board member for the Waukesha County Community Foundation and for Milwaukee Women, Inc., and as Executive Chair for the Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Leadership Committee.
Ryan Gordon
Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer
Since joining WaterStone Bank in 2008 as an intern, Ryan Gordon progressed through various roles in the credit department, including supervising the bank’s credit analysts to ensure quality underwriting of loans. Ryan currently serves as WaterStone Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, chair of the Officer Loan Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Waterstone Mortgage Corporation. A graduate of Marquette University, Ryan holds a B.A. in Real Estate and Finance, complemented by an MBA with a finance emphasis, and is now a member of the Advisory Board for Marquette’s Commercial Banking Program.
Don Bray
Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer
Donald Bray holds the title of Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at WaterStone Bank, where he has been an integral part of the company’s information technology realm for the past 16 years. His dedication to professional development is evident through his extensive list of certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Community Bank Technology Officer (CCBTO). A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Don earned his BA in History.
Marlene Molter
Senior Vice President, Director of Human Resources
Marlene Molter, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, has been an integral part of WaterStone Bank’s leadership team since joining the company in 2016. With more than two decades of human resources expertise, Marlene fosters alignment between HR initiatives and business goals, providing insights on best practices, analytics and leadership development.
Actively engaged in the community, Marlene serves on the Finance Industry Advisory Board for Employ Milwaukee and is a member of the Milwaukee Industry Liaison Group. A UW-Madison graduate with a BBA in Human Resources, she remains at the forefront of industry advancements, holding certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP).
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