All James E. Haney Jr. wanted out of his first securities brokering job was a little money to put him through business school. But it turned into the perfect career, and now he’s the new senior vice president and manager of City National Bank’s Los Angeles Metro Region Commercial and Private Banking.

“I woke up one morning and realized that I love this job,” he said. “So why leave?”

Based in downtown Los Angeles, Haney oversees a team of bankers who deal with all aspects of commercial and private banking and wealth management services in the areas across the San Gabriel Valley, South Central Los Angeles and even parts of Beverly Hills. He deals with a variety of customers, many of them small business owners, who seek all forms of financial advice.

“I meet with owners of companies that have $50 million in revenue, but I also meet with people who built the business with their own hands and who pride themselves on doing things better than most others,” Haney said.

His goal is to build a wider client base and take on added responsibilities in his area of expertise.

He was born in Long Beach and grew up in Palos Verdes. He now resides in Manhattan Beach with his wife of 25 years, Leslie and his older daughter, Courtney. His younger daughter is a student at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Haney likes skiing and mountain biking, but what he enjoys most is fly fishing. He owns a place in Mammoth and spends time there whenever he can.

“People like it when you have so much interest in something. And if that is a common interest then it is even better.”