Jefferson Township Resident Named SVP of Corporate Banking at First Niagara

First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG) today announced the addition of three new bankers to its middle market and business banking teams which serve the Metro New York, Hudson Valley and Westchester County markets.

Paolo de Alessandrini and Eileen McEvoy have joined First Niagara; each as Senior Vice Presidents for Corporate Banking. Schuyler Tilly, who has been with the bank since 2005, has been named First Vice President for Corporate Banking. All three will be responsible for generating middle market financing deals with area companies, whose annual revenues equal or exceed $25MM.They will report to Robert Cerminaro, Senior Vice President and Market Executive of Corporate Banking for First Niagara’s Tri-State Region.

“Paolo, Eileen and Schuyler are established lending professionals with excellent records of providing tailored financial solutions, specifically designed to help each client meet the particular development needs for their business,” said Cerminaro. “With the appointment of these three bankers, First Niagara is taking another important step to increase its presence and resources in Metro New York, Hudson Valley and Westchester County. We are excited to welcome them to our talented team.”

Paolo de Alessandrini’s market concentration will be Metro New York, Westchester County and Long Island. He will work from First Niagara’s new Tarrytown office, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Paolo has 35 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He most recently served as the Executive Director and Senior Banker for Diversified Industries and TMET Sectors at ANZ Bank Group/ANZ Securities in New York City. He holds a B.A. in Math and Physics from Instituto Arecco in Genoa, Italy and an MBA in Finance from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Paolo resides in Scarsdale, New York with his wife Jackie and their daughters Alexa and Elle.

Eileen McEvoy’s market concentration will be Metro New York and New Jersey. She will maintain an office at First Niagara’s newly-established New York City office, located at 380 Lexington Avenue. McEvoy has three decades of middle market and commercial banking experience in the Greater New York City Area. Prior to joining First Niagara, McEvoy served as SVP and Senior Relationship Manager for Middle Market Banking at Citibank, where she focused on the expansion of Citi’s business in the New York City market. McEvoy holds a B.S. in Biology from Tufts University and an MBA in Finance from the NYU Stern School of Business. She resides in Jefferson Township, New Jersey.

Schuyler Tilly’s market focus will be Westchester County and Hudson Valley. He currently operates from First Niagara’s Nyack office, but will relocate to Tarrytown in December. Tilly joined First Niagara in 2005 as a Vice President and Corporate Banking Relationship Manager and served, for the last six years, as First Vice President and Business Banking Team Leader. Prior to his tenure at the bank, he held similar positions in middle market lending at HSBC and Fleet Bank/Bank of America. He holds a B.S. in Economics from SUNY College at Oneonta and a Master’s in Economics from Syracuse University. He currently resides in Halfmoon, New York with his wife Sharon, their three children and two dogs.