Sandy Pierce, vice chairman of FirstMerit Corporation, named one of American Banker's 2015 Most Powerful Women in Banking

AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandy Pierce, vice chairman of FirstMerit Corporation (Nasdaq: FMER) and chairman and CEO of FirstMerit Michigan, has been named one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking for 2015 by American Banker magazine. This is the second year in a row Pierce has been named to this list in her positions at FirstMerit.

Pierce was honored for her accomplishments at FirstMerit as well as her civic involvement in her hometown of Detroit. She also was recognized for using her upbringing to her advantage: the youngest of 10 children, Pierce was raised by her parents above the tavern they ran in downtown Detroit and was the only one of the children to go to college. With a unique combination of college education and street smarts, Pierce advanced through the ranks over the course of her career in banking and expanded her influence through her years of civic leadership in Detroit. Giving back to the city, state and industry that have shaped who she is today isn't just second nature, it's a top priority.

"The only way you can truly affect growth and development as an individual, a company and a community, is by committing to ourselves and to one another," Pierce says. "In my position at FirstMerit, I have the privilege of helping the implementation of programs that connect private, public and non-profit sectors across our footprint. With the resources available at my company, we can drive initiatives that address key regional issues like job creation, affordable housing and access to capital for small businesses."

Pierce joined FirstMerit in 2013 and has direct oversight of and responsibility for Retail Banking, Wealth Management Services, and Corporate Marketing for FirstMerit Corporation and coordination of FirstMerit's business activities in the state of Michigan.

She began her successful and diverse career in 1978 when she joined NBD Bancorp as a teller while attending Wayne State University. Upon graduation, she held a number of significant roles in commercial banking, retail banking, marketing and private client services at NBD and its successor organizations First Chicago NBD, Bank One, and JP Morgan Chase. Prior to joining FirstMerit, Pierce was Midwest Regional Executive, President and CEO for Charter One Bank, Michigan, a division of RBS Citizens, N.A. where she had responsibilities for commercial banking and all state bank activities in Michigan as well as oversight of all state activities in Illinois and Ohio and was a member of Citizens Financial Group's Executive Leadership Group and the Midwest Regional Advisory Board.

A native of Detroit, Pierce is a 1980 graduate of Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration / Marketing degree. She earned a Masters of Business Administration / Finance degree from Wayne State University in 1984. She is a board member of Barton Malow Company and Penske Automotive Group. She is Chair of the Board of Henry Ford Health Systems and served as Chair of the Detroit Financial Advisory Board from 2012 through 2014. Current and past business associations and civic involvements include board membership on Business Leaders for Michigan (Vice Chairman, Executive Committee, Audit Chair); College for Creative Studies; Detroit Economic Club (Board of Directors; Executive Committee); Detroit Regional Chamber (Prior Chair); Downtown Detroit Partnership; the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy; The Parade Company (Immediate Past Chair, Board of Directors) and United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

About FirstMerit Corporation

FirstMerit Corporation is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Akron, Ohio, with assets of approximately $25.3 billion as of June 30, 2015, and 367 banking offices and 399 ATM locations in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Pennsylvania. FirstMerit provides a complete range of banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses through its core operations. Principal affiliates include: FirstMerit Bank, N.A. and FirstMerit Mortgage Corporation. For more information, visit us at firstmerit.com.

About AMERICAN BANKER and AMERICAN BANKER MAGAZINE

American Banker is the essential resource for senior executives in banking and financial services, keeping its users updated on vital developments and focusing sharply on their most important concerns. American Banker Magazine is the monthly publication of American Banker, which also provides research and data and hosts an annual roster of professional events and conferences.

FirstMerit Corporation 
Media Contact: Rob Townsend 
Phone: 330.384.7075 
E-mail: [email protected]

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SOURCE FirstMerit Corporation

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