Wells Fargo announced its Commercial Banking leadership team for the Northeast, which includes leaders serving businesses in New England, Western New York and Eastern Canada. The new leadership team stems from the bank’s recently announced structure for its Commercial Banking business.

Under its new integrated business model, Wells Fargo is strengthening and simplifying how it serves the needs of local commercial customers. With its newly formed national Specialized Industries group, Wells Fargo also provides expertise across industries including Food, Beverage & Agribusiness; Investor Real Estate; Government; and Technology through its regional presence. Wells Fargo Commercial Banking provides industry expertise, solutions and local service to customers with annual sales typically ranging from $5 million to $2 billion.

As part of the new structure, 35-year industry veteran, Greg O’Brien has been named Division Executive for Wells Fargo Commercial Banking’s Northeast Division. Based in Boston, O’Brien oversees 14 commercial banking teams with offices located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and Eastern Canada. He reports to Kristin Lesher, Head of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking’s East Region.

“Boston is a key growth market for our company and business,” said Lesher. “Under Greg’s leadership, we’re fortunate to have a strong team dedicated to serving our commercial customers in Boston and throughout the Northeast region. Our team is committed to helping local businesses succeed and are active members in the community, supporting important organizations.”

O’Brien is on the board of directors of the Boston Chamber of Commerce and the board of overseers for Babson College. He is also on the council of the New England Historic Genealogy Society. He joined Wells Fargo in 2011 when he was named Regional Leader for the New England Middle Market Banking operations. Under his leadership, Wells Fargo created its New England Commercial Banking Division in 2015 and has experienced significant growth in these markets, opening three new offices in the past four years.

Local Commercial Banking Team

In addition to O’Brien, the following leaders have also been named to Wells Fargo’s Northeast Commercial Banking team.

Gary Pirri, a 35-year banking veteran, has been named as market executive for New England Commercial Banking, reporting to O’Brien. Pirri will oversee New England commercial banking teams in Boston, MA; Providence, RI; Manchester, NH; Portland, ME; Springfield, MA; and Worcester, MA.

Reporting to Pirri, Wells Fargo has named three existing leaders from its legacy Middle Market Banking and Business Banking teams as commercial banking leaders in New England:

• Boston-based Bob Beveridge has been named as Commercial Banking Leader for Massachusetts. A U.S. Army veteran, Beveridge has 16 years of banking experience and joined Wells Fargo in 2009. He relocated to Boston in 2015 when he was tapped for the bank’s Capital Finance team.
• Michael DiSandro, a 30-year banking veteran, continues to lead teams in Southeastern and Eastern Massachusetts as well as the Providence-based Rhode Island team, which he helped establish in 2016 as part of Wells Fargo’s New England expansion.
• Based in Boston, Paul Forester will oversee Wells Fargo’s Commercial Banking teams covering Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) as well as teams in Boston and Central/Western Massachusetts. A 30-year commercial banking veteran, Forester joined Wells Fargo in 2013, and in 2016 led the New England Middle Market Banking expansion in Northern New England opening offices in Manchester, NH, and Portland, ME.

As part of O’Brien’s expanded regional territory, he has also named longtime Wells Fargo bankers as market executives in the key markets of Buffalo, NY, and Shelton, CT:

• Tara Handforth, a longtime Wells Fargo banker will continue to lead commercial banking operations in Central and Western New York, as well as Eastern Canada, where the company has offices in Montreal and Toronto.
• Based in Shelton, CT, and with offices in Hartford, CT, Greenwich, CT, and Albany, NY, Kevin Burke, a 26-year banking veteran, will continue to lead commercial banking operations throughout the Constitution State and New York’s Capital Region.

“I am very proud of this leadership team, all well-respected and experienced bankers, in the region. They each bring passion and proven leadership in serving the financial needs of commercial companies throughout the Northeast,” Lesher said.