Astoria Federal Savings Business Banking Group Continues to Grow with the Addition of Two Veteran Business Bankers

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Astoria Federal Savings, Long Island's fourth largest bank by deposit market share and the second largest community bank headquartered in New York, today announced that it has expanded its business banking services by hiring two new relationship managers to help support small and mid-market businesses on Long Island. Senior vice presidents of the Business Banking Group, Timothy Juliano and Laura Greatsinger each bring with them more than 25 years of business banking experience in the Long Island and Greater New York City regions to better provide the strong local market knowledge that small and mid-market businesses need to enhance their operations. Both Juliano and Greatsinger report to William Ayers, senior vice president of the Business Banking Group and director of relationship management for the group on Long Island.

Juliano has worked with a wide range of industries and business sizes in his 25 years of business banking.  Prior to Astoria, Juliano worked closely with and cultivated middle market business customers, most recently as a senior relationship manager at Capital One Bank. His responsibilities included providing various treasury management and credit services, as well as assisting with underwriting in the credit management process. While there, he managed a team of relationship managers focused on developing new banking relationships, along with working on growth solutions for both borrowing and non-borrowing clients, including those in the construction industry. At Astoria, Juliano focuses his business banking efforts on the small and mid-market businesses in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Greatsinger has spent the last 26 years at JPMorgan Chase in Melville, N.Y. working in middle market banking for Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties. As a vice president and banker in Chase's Long Island-Queens Middle Market Banking Group, she was ranked as a top banker and was recognized for her ability to identify and deliver the services needed to fit customers' short and long-term needs.  She also led teams for the Northeast Middle Market's Country Club Specialization Group. Greatsinger, who excels at informing and educating her customers about the best options available to them, brings to Astoria a strong focus on customer service, and has been consistently ranked in the "highest performer" group in annual client surveys.

"We are excited to have Tim and Laura join our growing team of business bankers," said Stephen Sipola, executive vice president and managing director of the Business Banking Group at Astoria.  "Their dedication to customer service and exceptional local market knowledge is a great fit for us. They both have the expertise that aligns with our approach of working closely with customers to design customized banking solutions that will best meet their business needs."

Since 2011, Astoria's Business Banking Group has expanded from eight to more than 30 as part of a strategic shift in its balance sheet through repositioned assets and liabilities.  Since that shift, Astoria has seen a double-digit increase in core deposits for the second straight year.

About Astoria Federal Savings
Astoria Financial Corporation (NYSE: AF), with assets of $16.1 billion, is the holding company for Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association.  Established in 1888, Astoria Federal, with deposits in New York totaling $10.2 billion, is the largest thrift depository in New York and embraces its philosophy of "Putting people first" by providing the customers and local communities it serves with quality financial products and services through 85 convenient banking office locations and multiple delivery channels, including its enhanced website, www.astoriafederal.com.  Astoria Federal commands the fourth largest deposit market share in the attractive Long Island market, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties with a population exceeding that of 38 individual states.  Astoria Federal originates residential mortgage loans through its banking and loan production offices in New York, a broker network in four states, primarily along the East Coast, and through correspondent relationships covering nine states and the District of Columbia.  Astoria Federal also originates multi-family and commercial real estate loans, primarily on rent controlled and rent stabilized apartment buildings, located in New York City and the metropolitan area.

SOURCE Astoria Federal Savings