Birmingham resident Kimberly Zazula among three added to Citizens Commercial Banking team

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Tom Sarago

216.269.9673
tsarago@lesiccamper.com

April 29, 2015

Citizens Bank adds Birmingham resident and former Fifth Third Bank VP Kimberly Zazula to Commercial Banking Team in Michigan

Former Fifth Third VP among three who recently joined Citizens growing team

SOUTHFIELD, MI – Citizens Bank announced today the hiring of Michael Blackburn as a Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager, Todd Seehase as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager and Kimberly Zazula as a Vice President and Relationship Manager for Citizens Commercial Banking.

Most recently, Blackburn was Director of Corporate Banking and Group Manager at Flagstar Bank in Troy, MI. Previously, he served as a senior commercial large corporate relationship manager and vice president with Fifth Third Bank in Southfield, MI.

Seehase was most recently Vice President and Portfolio Manager with FirstMerit Bank. Previously, he had worked at National Bank of Detroit and its successors as a vice president in commercial banking in relationship manager and underwriter roles. A Michigan State University graduate, he began his career as a staff auditor with Ernst & Young’s Detroit office.

Most recently, Zazula was Vice President and Relationship Manager of the Education, Non-Profit and Healthcare Team at Fifth Third Bank. Her career started with the National Bank of Detroit and includes more than 25 years of varied work within the banking industry serving clients in Southeast Michigan. She joins Citizens as a member of the Non-Profit and Healthcare Group. She attended the University of Michigan.

Blackburn began his banking career in Detroit with NBD Bank/First Chicago NBD/Bank One, rising to division manager. He later worked as a commercial loan officer and vice president for Comerica Bank in Farmington, MI. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and his MBA from Wayne State University.

Blackburn is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals / Detroit Treasury Management Association, the Association for Corporate Growth and a member and former board member of the Risk Management Association. He is a Certified Treasury Professional and a Registered Representative.

While at Fifth Third, Blackburn chaired and organized a Detroit Red Wings alumni hockey game from 2005 to 2007, raising more than $75,000 to fight autism. A founding member of BeFit Racing, he has helped raise $200,000 for local charities over the last three years. He is a certified USA Triathlon coach and six-time Ironman finisher.

“We’re excited to be adding these three experienced bankers to our growing team here in Michigan. Mike, Todd and Kim all have great expertise in the market and are very accomplished and well-respected members of the business community,” said Rick Hampson, President of Citizens Bank in Michigan.

For more information about Citizens Commercial Banking, please go to the Citizens Commercial Banking website.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: CFG) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $132.9 billion in assets as of December 31, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in selective markets nationwide. Citizens Commercial Banking offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates via subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.

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