People's United Bank announced a team of four seasoned professionals has joined its Commercial Banking group in the eastern Massachusetts market. Led by John Doucette, Senior Vice President, Region Manager -- most recently, Market Manager, New England Asset Based Lending, at Santander Bank (formerly Sovereign Bank) -- the team brings approximately 100 years of combined experience in the region's commercial and asset-based markets and will augment the bank's current business capabilities in the market.
In addition to Doucette, team members include: Michael Lavoie and Dean Hildreth, both Senior Relationship Managers, and Katherine Jenkins, Senior Portfolio Manager. They will be located in the Boston headquarters offices at One Post Office Square.
The Eastern Massachusetts Middle Market group's members bring a breadth and depth of banking experience and strong customer relationships throughout the market. The team's expertise spans commercial and asset-based lending across a full array of businesses and sectors, with a specialization in the regional seafood industry. Team members will deliver on the People's United approach to serving customers with their in-depth knowledge of a superior product set, broad experience in the markets and a commitment to exceptional levels of quality customer service.
"We are excited about the opportunity that this team represents for People's United as we expand and deepen our ability to serve customers in the eastern Massachusetts region," said Patrick Sullivan, Massachusetts Market President. "I have strong and long-standing relationships with the members of this team and their customers and look forward to continuing to deepen and expand them. The addition of this group to the People's United Bank team firmly underscores the bank's commitment to the Commonwealth and, specifically, to our customers in eastern Massachusetts."
People's United is deeply committed to the communities it serves and actively encourages employees' engagement in local professional and benevolent groups. The middle-market team members' combined professional and community commitments include: leadership positions at the Commercial Finance Association, Turnaround Management Association, Association for Corporate Growth, National Fisheries Institute as well as on the South Shore Hospital Charitable Foundation Board, Town of Deering Planning Board, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and hometown Youth Sports organizations.
Doucette brings over twenty years of commercial banking experience, including asset based lending and commercial lending. In his most recent position at Santander, where he has worked since 2000, he was responsible for managing a team of asset based lenders with a portfolio of commercial and asset-based loans with a concentration in the seafood industry. Prior to joining Santander, Doucette was at Fleet Financial Group, most recently as Senior Portfolio Manager Commercial Lending. He began his career at U.S. Trust Corporation after graduating with a bachelor's in Finance from Bentley College.
Lavoie joins People's United with 24 years of commercial lending experience, most recently as Senior Vice President, Asset Based Lending at Santander Bank. He previously was employed at RBS Citizens, where he was responsible for overseeing an asset-based loan portfolio and, prior to that, at Deutsche Financial Services Corporation and Bank of New York Financial Corporation. He received his MBA from Bentley College and bachelor's in finance from Southern New Hampshire University.
Hildreth joins People's United from his previous position as Relationship Manager, Asset Based Lending at Santander Bank, which he joined in 2011 as Middle Market, Vice President and responsible for new business development. He was responsible for developing and maintaining the portfolio of commercial and asset based loans, working with borrowers as the primary contact and developing new business and cross-selling opportunities. Hildreth has more than 20 years of experience in the leasing business at companies including LaSalle National Leasing, CIT Group, GE Capital and BancBoston Leasing. He graduated from Assumption College with a bachelor's in Business Management.
Jenkins brings to her new position at People's United 15 years of commercial banking experience with a diverse background including asset based, commercial, large corporate, and specialty lending. She was, previously, Credit Officer, New England Asset Based Lending at Santander, responsible for managing a complex and balanced portfolio of middle market relationships. Prior to joining Santander in 2000, Jenkins was employed at Fleet Financial and Bankers Life and Casualty Company having earned her bachelor's in Finance and Accounting from Saint Anselm College.
People's United Bank is a subsidiary of People's United Financial, Inc., a diversified financial services company with $33 billion in assets. People's United Bank, founded in 1842, is a premier, community-based, regional bank in the Northeast offering commercial and retail banking, as well as wealth management services through a network of 410 retail locations in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.