CIT Group Inc. announced the appointment of Gina Proia as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, effective Dec. 14, 2016. Proia will serve on the company’s Executive Management Committee and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Ellen R. Alemany.

“We are pleased to have Gina join CIT. She is a highly accomplished leader who comes to us with valuable experience in defining and enhancing culture and reputation,” said Alemany. “She’s known in the industry as a partner to senior leadership with a can-do attitude and an ability to engage people in her vision. Her capabilities with reputation management, brand positioning, internal and external communications, corporate citizenship, volunteerism, and giving programs will help drive employee engagement and profitable growth and ultimately deliver value to our shareholders.”

Proia is responsible for overseeing the company’s branding, marketing, and advertising strategies as well as ensuring they support CIT’s strategic priorities. She is also responsible for advancing strategies and programs to help promote a corporate culture that aligns employees with CIT’s business goals, facilitates sustained growth, and complies with regulatory requirements.

“I’m excited to bring to CIT my demonstrated track record of building key relationships, helping strong brands evolve, and operating with agility during times of transformation,” said Proia.

Proia joins CIT following 10 years at Ally Financial, where she served most recently as chief communications officer. She has served as a board member of Jump$tart Coalition, a national nonprofit organization advancing financial education for young people. She is also a member of the Arthur W. Page Society. In 2010, Proia was recognized on PR Week’s 40 Under 40 List, and in 2015, she received the Aiming High Award from Legal Momentum—The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, which recognizes the accomplishments of women in business.

Proia was the chief communications officer at Ally Financial, responsible for all communications activities at the company, including developing strategic communications plans and managing media relations, internal communications, digital media, executive communications, and corporate citizenship efforts.

Prior to joining Ally, Proia held various positions at General Motors in the areas of financial communications, marketing communications, and product publicity. She began her career at a documentary production company in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1908, CIT is a financial holding company with more than $65 billion in assets. Its principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A., (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) has more than $30 billion of deposits and more than $40 billion of assets. It provides financing, leasing, and advisory services principally to middle-market companies across a wide variety of industries primarily in North America, and equipment financing and leasing solutions to the transportation sector.