Kelly Johnson to Head Private Client Services at Heartland Financial USA, Inc.

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) announced today that Kelly J. Johnson will join the company in the newly-created position of Executive Vice President – Private Client Services on August 29, 2014.

Kelly J. Johnson Executive Vice President - Private Client Services (Photo: Heartland Financial USA, Inc.)

Johnson joins Heartland with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Wealth Management at Umpqua Holdings, a $22 billion bank holding company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. At Umpqua, he developed and led the wealth management divisions of Private Banking, Trust Services, Wealth Planning and Investment Services. His experience includes executive positions with RBC Wealth Management (formerly Dain Rauscher) in Oregon, Iowa and Minnesota and with UBS Wealth Management (formerly Paine Webber) in Minnesota.

Mr. Johnson will report to Douglas J. Horstmann, Heartland Executive Vice President and President and CEO of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company. Johnson will be responsible for leading the company’s Wealth Management, Investment Services, Insurance Services and Private Banking divisions at all Heartland subsidiary banks.

“We are delighted to welcome Kelly to our executive team,” stated Horstmann. “He brings extensive experience in all areas of wealth management with successful and highly-respected financial institutions. His background in larger organizations will be invaluable as Heartland executes its expansion strategies.”

Johnson earned a BS degree in Business and his MBA in Management at the University of Minnesota. He is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Additional contact:
Kelly Johnson
(563) 589-2031
KJohnson@htlf.com

About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a $5.9 billion diversified financial services company providing banking, mortgage, wealth management, investment, insurance and consumer finance services to individuals and businesses .Heartland currently has 77 banking locations in 57 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri and loan production offices in California, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Nebraska. Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This release, and future oral and written statements of Heartland and its management, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about Heartland's financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Although these forward-looking statements are based upon the beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Heartland's management, there are a number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of management to control or predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors, which are detailed in the risk factors included in Heartland's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, include, among others: (i) the strength of the local and national economy; (ii) the economic impact of past and any future terrorist threats and attacks and any acts of war, (iii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company's general business; (iv) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of the Company's assets; (v) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) the potential impact of acquisitions, (viii) the loss of key executives or employees; (ix) changes in consumer spending; (x) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; and (xi) changes in accounting policies and practices. All statements in this release, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Heartland undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

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