Schmidt, Gleason to succeed Metzger at Citizens

Cathleen A. Schmidt, currently executive vice president and director of retail banking of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, will be taking over next month as president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank New Hampshire.

Schmidt will replace Thomas M. Metzger, currently chairman, president and CEO of Citizens Bank New Hampshire, who has been named group executive vice president and deputy chief credit officer of Citizens Financial Group, which is based in Providence, R.I..

Michael J. Gleason, currently executive vice president and New England director of government banking, will succeed Metzger as chairman of Citizens Bank New Hampshire’s board.

Schmidt, who will oversee Citizens’ 76 New Hampshire branches and $9 billion in assets, has more than 20 years of experience in the industry.

She joined Citizens in July 2002 as executive vice president and director of retail banking of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts. Before that, she served in a variety of retail management positions at M&T Bank in New York and. She also worked for more than 14 years at Old Stone Bank in Providence, where she served as senior vice president of retail banking. Citizens acquired Old Stone Bank in 1994.

Citizens Vice Chairman Robert M. Mahoney called Schmidt “a seasoned banking professional” who is an “innovative leader focused on providing outstanding customer service and product offerings.”

Gleason, the next chairman of Citizens Bank New Hampshire, has served on the bank’s board since 2003.

Mahoney called him “a dedicated leader” whose close to 30 years of banking experience “make him an excellent candidate to serve as chairman.”

Gleason will continue in his role as executive vice president and director of the New England-wide government banking division, where he is responsible for cash management, financial advisory services, lending, general banking and investment services for the banks’ municipal customers.

Before joining Citizens in 1996, Gleason headed the municipal banking group and money desk division at First NH Bank.

Metzger, who has been in his role at Citizens since 2002, “has done an outstanding job in leading our New Hampshire team,” said Lawrence K. Fish, chairman and CEO of Citizens Financial.

Fish said that under Metzger’s leadership, Citizens “delivered impressive organic growth … growing assets from $6.9 billion in 2003 to $9 billion today.”

In his new role as group executive vice president and deputy chief credit officer at Citizens Financial, Metzger will report to Bob Gormley, vice chairman for risk management, and himself a former president and CEO of Citizens Bank New Hampshire.

Metzger’s new job involves support of risk management activities across Citizens , including credit transactions, portfolio administration, asset-liability management, credit review, compliance and operational risk, legal and corporate security.

Metzger will be based in Rhode Island.

“While I am excited about this new opportunity, I will certainly miss being a part of the Granite State,” he said. “My wife Joan and I have made so many friends over the years, whom we will always remember. I have had the privilege of working with many talented and caring people both at the bank and in the community.” — NHBR STAFF