New Year, New Job: C-Suite Appointments Across Banking Sector

First Business Bank — The Wisconsin-based bank’s CEO Mark Meloy has been promoted to executive vice president of First Business Financial Services, the bank’s parent company. He has worked at the bank since 2000.

Meloy is succeeded as bank CEO by Jim Hartlieb, who has been bank president since 2015 — a role he will retain.

At the same time, chief operating officer Dave Seiler has been named president and COO of First Business Financial Services. He has been COO of the bank for six years.

FDIC — At the start of the month, Martin Gruenberg was sworn in as chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for a five-year term, while vice chair Travis Hill and director Jonathan McKernan were appointed to the board.

Gruenberg previously held the role of chair from November 2012 to June 2018 and has been on the FDIC’s board since 2005.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York — The New York Fed has named Vincent Alvarez as chair of its board of directors. Alvarez is president of the New York City Central Labor Council at AFL-CIO. He was deputy chair last year and has been a director since 2019.

In addition, Dr Rosa Gil has been appointed deputy chair. She is currently president and CEO of Comunilife and joined the Fed’s board in 2018. Pat Wang, president and CEO of Healthfirst, has been named as a director for a three-year term on the Fed’s board.

Rockland Trust Company — Jeffrey Tengel is to take over as CEO of Massachusetts-based Rockland Trust Company and its parent company, Independent Bank Corp, in early February.

Tengel succeeds Christopher Oddleifson, who has been the bank’s CEO since 2003, growing from $2 billion in total assets to nearly $20 billion, according to a statement from the company. Oddleifson is to remain with the bank in an advisory role until the end of this year.

Tengel joins from M&T Bank where he was senior executive vice president and head of commercial specialty banking. Prior to that he was responsible for commercial and retail banking and wealth management at People’s United Financial, which was acquired by M&T last year.

Citizens Bank of Philadelphia — President and CEO Greg McKee is to step down from his positions at the bank at the end of this month, the Mississippi-based bank has announced. His successor is expected to be announced later this month.

He is to remain president and CEO of Citizens Holding Company and a member of the parent company’s board of directors, Citizens said. He first joined the bank in 1982 and has been president and CEO since 2002.

CalPrivate Bank — Cory Stewart has been hired as chief financial officer for California-based CalPrivate Bank and its parent company Private Bancorp of America.

Stewart is joined by three other senior finance leaders: Tony Dal Maso, senior vice president for accounting and financial reporting; Mark Hettel, SVP finance strategy and transformation; and Erik Torseth, SVP finance and treasury.

Stewart — previously principal accounting officer at WaFd Bank — takes on the role from Mag Wangsuwana, who CalPrivate said would remain with the company until the end of March “to ensure a smooth transition”.

CIB Marine — The Wisconsin-based bank expects to hire approximately 30 mortgage loan officers and other operational staff following the appointment of Frank Binetti as director of mortgage operations. The hires are aimed at doubling the bank’s mortgage lending capacity.

Merchants & Marine Bank — Jeff Trammell has been promoted to chief operations officer at the Mississippi-based bank. He was previously chief risk and strategy officer, a position he has held since joining the company in 2019.

According to a statement from the bank, Trammell has contributed to improving its credit risk management program and helped set up the bank’s CannaFirst Financial division, providing financial services to medicinal cannabis businesses and professionals.

Fulton Bank — Dara Bachman has been promoted to president of the Pennsylvania bank’s private banking arm. She will be responsible for Fulton Private Bank’s wealth management offering to high-net-worth clients, the company said in a statement. Bachman joined Fulton in April 2021 and was most recently director of family wealth.

TowneBank — Virginia’s TowneBank has promoted R Lee Clark to chief operating officer, responsible for bank operations and oversee human resources.

Clark has worked at TowneBank since 2006 when he joined as a senior business analyst. He has held leadership roles in loan administration and banking operations before taking over as chief human resources officer in 2019.

Finward Bancorp — Chief risk officer Leane Cerven is to retire on May 5, 2023, the Indiana-based banking group has announced.

Cerven — who also holds the roles of general counsel and corporate secretary — joined Peoples and Finward in 2010 as general counsel and corporate secretary. She took over as CRO in 2021.

Lynette Klemm, currently Peoples Bank’s director of audit, will replace Cerven on an interim basis until the bank identifies a permanent successor.

EagleBank — The Washington, DC bank has named Jay Namputhiripad as chief risk officer, replacing the retiring Jeff Curry.

Namputhiripad joins from The Bancorp, where he was a managing director and helped establish the company’s Global Financial Crimes Risk Management Center of Excellence. He has also worked in senior risk and compliance roles at Morgan Stanley and FHL Bank.