San Francisco-based First Republic Bank has hired Gayle Nickel as a managing director and preferred banking team leader in Silicon Valley.

Nickel will be responsible for preferred banking deposit initiatives in the Silicon Valley area. Prior to this post, she worked for Silicon Valley Bank for 18 years, most recently as head of client advisory services in the venture capital and corporate finance group. She is now based at the bank's Menlo Park office.

Over the last three years, First Republic Bank has expanded its Silicon Valley operations by adding a number of bankers and wealth management professionals. In addition to its two offices in Menlo Park, the company has branches in Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Gatos, San Jose, Redwood City, San Mateo, Burlingame and Millbrae.