Citizens Bank today announced the appointment of Chris Ward as President of Business Banking. Ward, an industry veteran with 26 years of experience, previously served as head of Business Banking sales.

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Business Banking is the division of Citizens serving businesses with annual revenues of up to $25 million. Ward will report to Brad Conner, Vice Chairman and Head of Consumer Banking.

“Chris is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the banking needs of small and medium-sized businesses,” said Conner. “He has a long track record of helping companies optimize their financial performance through the use of credit and cash management products and services. We welcome Chris to this new role and look forward to his leadership as we continue to grow this important business.”

Ward joined Citizens in August 2014 from BBVA Group, where he was global director of the small and medium business segment. Prior to this role he served as director of BBVA Compass’ small business segment. Ward received his Bachelor of Science in finance from Florida Atlantic University.

To learn more about Citizens Bank, customers can call the customer contact center at 1-800-922-9999, like the bank on Facebook, follow the bank on Twitter or visit the Citizens Bank website.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $138.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle‐market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid‐Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not‐for‐profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania as Citizens Bank, Citizens Commercial Banking and Citizens One. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.

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Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Lauren DiGeronimo, 781-471-1454

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