Peapack-Gladstone Bank Hires Team of Princeton Private Bankers

BEDMINSTER, N.J., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: PGC) and Peapack-Gladstone Bank announce the opening of a new private banking location in Princeton, NJ. The office, located at 100 Overlook Center, is the first private banking office for Peapack-Gladstone Bank and will open its doors this month. 

"Princeton is the ideal location for us," said Doug Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Peapack-Gladstone Bank.  "The market offers similar characteristics to our more northern locations and will allow us to easily introduce our brand of high-touch, private banking to a new client base."

Sean Murray, a resident of Titusville, NJ, will lead the Princeton based team as the market president and senior managing director.  He will be responsible for growing the Bank's private banking business and introducing the Peapack-Gladstone Bank brand to the Princeton community.  Sean brings 23 years of experience in the wealth management and the private client business to the Bank.  He most recently served as market executive of the NJ market for wealth advisory services at Wilmington Trust in Princeton, and prior to that as managing director and senior vice president of the wealth management group at First Union/Wachovia Bank in West Trenton.  He holds a BA in Economics from Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, and an MBA from Villanova University.  Sean is the finance committee chair of the Capital Health System board of directors, sits on the executive advisory council for Rutgers University School of Business in Camden, and serves on the executive board of the Central New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America. 

Joining Sean is Gene McCarthy, a 30 year veteran of the financial services industry, who joins the Princeton office of Peapack-Gladstone Bank as the lead senior managing director, commercial banking.  He will guide the commercial banking team of private bankers, as they grow the Princeton business for the Bank. Gene most recently held the position of team leader of real estate and commercial banking of the Princeton Office of M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust in Princeton and at Yardville National Bank as first senior vice president and market manager prior to that.  He is a seasoned financial services executive with a high performing track record.  He holds a BA in Economics from Bucknell University and is NYSE Series 7 and Series 62 licensed. Gene serves on the board and executive committee of the Raritan Valley Community College Foundation and the Hunterdon County YMCA.  He is also a trustee and the finance committee chair of the Hunterdon County Economic Partnership.

Gerald Buffalino and Jennifer Ohlweiler also join the Peapack-Gladstone Bank Princeton office as senior managing directors, commercial banking.  Gerald and Jennifer will partner with Gene McCarthy to initiate and develop the Bank's commercial banking and wealth management business model as well as the delivery of the Peapack-Gladstone Bank brand of client service.  Gerald, a resident of Holmdel, joins PGB from M&T/Wilmington Trust where he most recently served as vice president and senior relationship manager.  Over his 37 year career in the financial services industry, Gerald has held positions at Garden State National Bank, Lloyds Bank, PLC, Citibank, N.A. and Wachovia Bank, N.A. He holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from Fordham University as well as an MBA in Finance from Farleigh Dickinson University. 

Jennifer Ohlweiler, a resident of Medford, NJ, holds a BA in Finance and Economics from Rider University in Lawrenceville.  She brings more than 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically in business banking and business development, to Peapack-Gladstone Bank, having most recently served as a commercial banker at M&T Bank.

Delia Bass-Dandridge will also comprise part of the new Princeton Peapack-Gladstone Bank team as senior managing director, wealth.  A former vice president and senior private client advisor at Wilmington Trust, and resident of Hamilton, NJ, Delia brings more than 24 years of experience to the Bank. She will work in partnership with the commercial banking private bankers to develop the Bank's relationship banking business model and grow its wealth management business, while introducing the Peapack-Gladstone Bank brand to the Princeton community.    Delia is a Tufts University graduate with a BA in Political Science and French, and is Series 7 licensed.

Catherine Fedor, Haley Overington and Catina Hood complete the new Princeton Peapack-Gladstone Bank team of private bankers. Catherine, a resident of Hopewell, joins the Bank as managing director, private banking.  A former vice president and commercial risk advisor at Wachovia Bank, Catherine brings more than 29 years of experience with her to PGB.  She is a graduate of Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA with a BA in Economics and Finance.  Haley and Catina join the Princeton office as private bankers, specializing in deposits.  Catina, an experienced financial services professional with a broad knowledge of wealth advisory and commercial products and services is a resident of Lawrenceville, NJ.  She joins PGB from M&T Bank where she most recently held the position of relationship liaison, assistant private banker.  She holds an MA in Professional Communication from LaSalle University in Newtown, PA and a BS in Business Management and Organizational Behavior from Rider University.  Haley is a resident of Lambertville, NJ, and also joins the bank from M&T Bank where she most recently held the position of operations manager.  She brings over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry to PGB having served as support team supervisor and client management associate at Wachovia Bank in Trenton.

"This location and team is an exact fit with our strategic plan known as 'Expanding Our Reach' which focuses on the client experience and growth across all lines of business," said Kennedy.  "As a high-performing boutique bank we are aggressively building our private banking platform which incorporates wealth, lending and deposit solutions. Princeton provides us with a unique opportunity to immediately execute on our innovative approach to private banking and on our brand of personalized, high-touch client service." 

Kennedy continued, "Since the initial implementation of our plan earlier this year, we have been particularly pleased with the growth in our loan pipelines and wealth business. As of March 31, 2013, the commercial loan pipeline (C&I, CRE, and Multi-Family) stood at $283 million, of which $85 million were approved and/or pending approval, and $198 million were in negotiations or which term sheets had been issued. On the Wealth side, Assets Under Administration at March 31, 2013, was $2.5 billion, compared to $2.1 billion at March 31, 2012.  We fully expect the Princeton team of private bankers to continue this momentum across all business lines.  Sean, Gene and their team have strong ties to the Princeton community.  They are a natural fit for the Bank because of their knowledge, experience, integrity and commitment.  I am confident that this is the team that will successfully deliver the Peapack-Gladstone Experience and our fully integrated private banking solution to the Princeton area."

About Peapack-Gladstone Bank
Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is a bank holding company with total assets of $1.64 billion as of March 31, 2013. Established in 1921, Peapack-Gladstone Bank is a commercial bank that offers a full range of quality banking products and services to businesses and consumers through its New Jersey locations, an online branch, a wealth management division, and its subsidiary, PGB Trust & Investments of Delaware. For additional information about Peapack-Gladstone Bank or to open an account online, visit www.pgbank.com or call 908-234-0700. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Contact:  Denise M. Pace-Sanders, Vice President Brand and Marketing Director, [email protected], 908.470.3322, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, 500 Hills Drive, Suite 300, Bedminster, NJ 07921.

SOURCE Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation