Sterling National Bank announced the appointment of Thomas X. Geisel as Executive Vice President and President of Specialty Finance.

Geisel will lead Sterling's specialty finance teams which include Asset Based Lending, Factoring and Trade Finance, Payroll Finance, and Equipment Finance. Sterling has been a leader in providing working capital for businesses through asset-based lending solutions for over 85 years. He will also be responsible for leading the commercial banking team based at 650 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

"Tom's leadership approach is a perfect fit with our team-based delivery strategy here at Sterling," said Jim Peoples, Chief Banking Officer of Sterling National Bank. "With his diverse background and proven track record as a public company CEO and Board member, we are confident Tom will be a valuable asset in helping us grow our business."

Geisel was most recently the Managing Partner of Templar Ventures LLC, a New Jersey-based merchant bank that focuses on investing in privately held and growth-oriented small and middle market companies. Prior to founding Templar, Geisel served as President & CEO of Sun Bancorp Inc., a publicly traded commercial bank.

Prior to joining Sun, Geisel held a number of senior leadership positions with KeyCorp from 1999 to 2008, eventually serving as President of KeyBank's Northeast Region, which comprised nine districts across New York, New Jersey, New England and Florida, with assets of approximately $20 billion and revenue exceeding $550 million.

Geisel's other professional experience includes five years as a partner in a New Jersey-based merchant banking boutique and 10 years representing the U.S. Department of Justice in various capacities domestically and as a diplomat in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Sterling is a world-class organization, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the team," said Geisel. "I look forward to working with our banking professionals to expand Sterling's capabilities across key markets."

Active in both business and community organizations, Geisel is a Member of the Board of Directors and the Ad-hoc Strategic Planning Committee of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Southern New Jersey Development Council (SNJDC).