Sterling National Bank, the principal subsidiary of Sterling Bancorp, announced seven new additions to its relationship banking teams servicing commercial middle-market clients, as part of its ongoing effort to invest in high-growth areas and deliver a broad range of financial products and services to its clients. The new hires -- four in specialty finance and three in commercial banking -- bring to Sterling a diverse range of expertise and a proven track record of success in the Metro New York market.

"We look forward to leveraging the insights of these outstanding individuals as we continue to expand our specialty finance capabilities," said Howard Applebaum, President of Specialty Finance & National Markets. "These additions are part of our strategy to continuously improve our team-based delivery model by onboarding the industry's top talent to better serve our clients' needs."

The additions to Sterling's specialty finance teams are:

Bill Bahls, Managing Director who will deliver factoring and asset-based lending service to high-growth and leveraged companies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including importers, distributors and manufacturers. He was previously the Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager at Keltic Financial Services, and also served as Vice President, Business Development at Summit Financial Resources.

Neil Wolfe, Managing Director who will oversee clients' day-to-day factoring and trade finance borrowing needs. He was previously a Senior Vice President of Business Development at Bibby Financial Services, where he was responsible for developing and managing relationships in the middle-arket throughout the Northeast.

Neal Landerer, Managing Director who will be managing and developing asset-based lending opportunities for clients in various industries. He was previously at Israel Discount Bank of New York for 15 years, where he spent the bulk of his tenure as a Relationship Manager and recently held the title of First Vice President. In that capacity, he managed an asset-based lending portfolio in excess of $200 million.

Robert Schepis, Managing Director who will be responsible for monitoring existing loan facilities and introducing new relationships to the bank. He was previously Senior Vice President of Business Banking and Market Credit Officer for Capital One Bank. There he helped drive new business relationships and retain asset quality within business banking.

Sterling National Bank, the principal subsidiary of Sterling Bancorp, specializes in the delivery of service and solutions to business owners, their families, and consumers in communities within the greater New York City area through teams of dedicated and experienced relationship managers. Sterling National Bank offers a complete line of commercial, business, and consumer banking products and services.