Signature Bank Taps New Team for White Plains Office

Full-service commercial bank Signature Bank has named a new three-person team to run its private client banking business in its White Plains office, the company announced.

Nicholas R. Melendez was named Group Director and Senior Vice President, and he is joined by Keston Williams, Associate Group Director, and Sheraz Muhammad, Senior Client Associate.

Additionally, the bank also named a new three-member team for its recently launched Greenwich private client banking office, led by Group Director and Senior Vice President Thomas P. Mooney. His team had been working temporarily out the White Plains office and will now move to Greenwich.

“We are demonstrating our continued momentum of new team appointments with the addition of Nick and his team. White Plains is an area where there are many privately owned businesses and over the years, Nick’s team has forged strong relationships throughout Westchester County,” said Signature Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph J. DePaolo in a statement. “We welcome Nick and his team to the Bank, and look forward to their contributions in an important market for us.”

From a company press release about the new team:

Melendez spent the past 15 years at Wells Fargo Bank and its predecessor banks in White Plains, most recently as District Manager and Vice President, a position where he focused on acquiring and serving commercial clients and managing the district’s business portfolio. He also oversaw the commercial business in districts across Long Island, Yonkers and New York City during his tenure.

Williams joins from Citibank in Greenwich, where he most recently was Business Banker - Vice President. In that capacity, he served a vast commercial clientele spanning professional services firms throughout Connecticut and Westchester. Prior, he spent four years at Wells Fargo in a range of commercial banking positions, where he worked with Melendez. Earlier in his 14-year banking career, Williams worked at JPMorgan Chase locations throughout the metro-New York area. Muhammad worked with Melendez at Wells Fargo, where he held the role of Branch Manager – Assistant Vice President at the North White Plains branch, managing the branch and overseeing a staff of 11.

While Melendez and his team settle into White Plains, Mooney and his team relocate from there to the new Greenwich office, located at 75 Holly Hill Lane. Signature Bank opened the Greenwich private client banking office, signifying its entry into the Connecticut market. This process is in line with the Bank’s proven strategy to identify veteran banking professionals with an established presence in key markets, and then build offices based on the bankers’ local experience and solid relationships.

Mooney had spent a decade at JPMorgan Chase, most recently as Northeast Region Recruiting Manager, handling recruitment for the entire Northeast for nearly two years. Previously, he was District Manager, based in Fairfield, CT., with oversight of all the branches there, serving affluent business and personal clients.

Richard Carr and Joseph Cambareri are part of Mooney’s team, bringing years of experience in Fairfield County to the Bank, after having worked together at JPMorgan Chase. Carr, Associate Group Director and Vice President, and Cambareri, Relationship Manager, joined with Mooney one year ago. Susan Gladstone joins Signature Bank now as Financial Center Manager, just as the Bank opens its Greenwich office. She spent her entire 29-year banking career at JPMorgan Chase. Dorothy Fronio, with 40 years of branch banking experience, was recently appointed Assistant Financial Center Manager/Head Teller. Previously, she spent 23 years at JPMorgan Chase and worked at various banks acquired by the firm over the years.

“Furthermore, we are pleased to open our 29th office in Greenwich and expand our footprint into the Connecticut marketplace. This is a primary example of how we build offices once seasoned bankers join our institution. This is a further step as we broaden our reach throughout the metro-NY area through the strength of our private client banking team network,” DePaolo explained.