Leadership

Ira Robbins

President & CEO of Valley National Bank

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  As President and CEO of Valley National Bank, Mr. Robbins works with Valley's Board of Directors and the senior management team to develop and lead Valley's strategic vision and direction, while promoting a culture that embraces corporate social responsibility.

  Mr. Robbins joined Valley in 1996 as part of the Bank's Management Associate Program and is a licensed CPA in New Jersey, a member of the New Jersey State Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Public Accountants. He serves as a board member for the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest NJ (JVS) and is also a member of the Morris Habitat for Humanity Leadership Council.

Alan D. Eskow

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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  Mr. Eskow joined Valley in 1990 as a Vice President in the Financial Administration Department. He is a licensed CPA in New Jersey and a member of both the American Institute of CPAs and the New Jersey State Society of CPAs. Mr. Eskow was designated the Controller in 1998 and Chief Financial Officer in 2000.

Dianne M. Grenz

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banking Officer

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  I believe in leading by example and would never ask my team to do something I would not do myself.

  Ms. Grenz joined Valley in 1995 and has held a number of prominent senior leadership positions over her tenure. As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banking Officer, she is responsible for directing Valley's Retail Deposit strategy, including product development and distribution channel optimization. The Bank's Customer Service Center also reports to Ms. Grenz.
  
  Ms. Grenz has been involved in many philanthropic organizations as well as serving as a Board Member for both NJ Bankers Association and CUMAC. She also serves as a volunteer for many organizations such as Make-A-Wish NJ, Hospice NJ, NJ Bankers Women in Banking, Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, Paterson Habitat for Humanity and the Rutgers TeamUp Program.

Tom Iadanza

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer

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  Mr. Iadanza joined Valley National Bank in 2012 through the acquisition of State Bank of Long Island and brings over 35 years of experience to his position. As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer, Mr. Iadanza will be responsible for Commercial Lending, Commercial Real Estate Lending, Consumer Lending, and Credit Underwriting encompassing all of Valley's markets in New Jersey, New York and Florida.

Ronald H. Janis

Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel

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  Mr. Janis joined Valley in 2017 and is recognized as an expert in the field of bank and securities regulation and corporate governance. Before joining Valley, Mr. Janis served as a partner in the Corporate and Business Department of Day Pitney LLP for over 20 years where he represented Valley. As the Company's General Counsel, he is responsible for counseling senior management on a number of issues including acquisitions, federal securities law, regulatory matters and corporate governance.

  He is a member of the American Bar Association, Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities and an author for its Task Force on Governance Issues in Business Combinations. He also served two terms on the Banking Law Section of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Robert J. Bardusch

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

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  As COO, Mr. Bardusch plays a critical role working with Valley’s executive leadership team to deliver the bank’s strategic vision.  He focuses on integrating platforms, improving service delivery and efficiency, and fostering innovation to support the bank in operating with the right balance of quality, flexibility, control and cost.  In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Bardusch leads Valley’s digital transformation projects and all technology and operations-based aspects of the bank.
  
   

Joseph V. Chillura

Executive Vice President and President of Commercial Lending for Florida & Alabama

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  Mr. Chillura began his professional banking career in 1988 at First Union National Bank in the Corporate Training Program. Mr. Chillura was a successful corporate banker with First Union in Tampa through 1997 when he joined Manufacturers Bank of Florida in Tampa. He served as chief operating officer and senior lender as well as a member of the Board of Directors for Manufacturers, which was acquired in 2001. After the acquisition, he stayed on until 2007 and served as regional chief executive officer and president of the banks with more than $3 billion in assets and more than 400 employees.
  
  Mr. Chillura earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. As a graduate of Jesuit High School, he currently serves on the President’s Cabinet and is a member of the Jesuit Alumni Association.  Additionally, Mr. Chillura serves on the boards of Lowry Park Zoo and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. He is also a member of the Tampa Yacht and Country Club and the Longboat Key Club.

Kevin Chittenden

Executive Vice President and Chief Residential Lending Officer

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  Mr. Chittenden joined Valley in 2016 and brings more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, including retail banking management and consumer lending development to his position. As Chief Residential Lending Officer, Mr. Chittenden is responsible for shaping the strategic vision of the Bank's residential lending business. This includes oversight of the Bank's residential lending operations, sales, lending practices, policies, procedures and activities in the secondary market.

Mark Fernandez

Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

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  Mr. Fernandez joined Valley National Bank as part of the merger of Valley and USAmeriBank. Prior to joining USAmeriBank, Mark founded the corporate advisory firm EMF Consulting, assisting organizations in marketing, community outreach and business development strategies. A 25-year veteran of the sports and entertainment industry, he is responsible for marketing strategy, brand management, communications, advertising, community impact and public relations.

  Most recently, he served for two years as the Board Chairman for the United Way Suncoast, having also chaired the United Way’s Annual Campaign and Tocqueville campaigns in recent years. In 2010 he was the inaugural recipient of the organization’s Community Advocacy Award.

  In addition to chairing numerous community leadership programs and civic activities, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Helios Education Foundation, University of South Florida Foundation, Tampa General Hospital Foundation, United Way Suncoast, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, American Heart Association, Hillsborough Education Foundation, and the Tampa/Hillsborough Homeless Initiative.

Bernadette M. Mueller

Executive Vice President and Corporate Social Responsibility – CRA

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  Ms. Mueller joined Valley in 1992. She is responsible for the strategic oversight and administration of Valley's CRA plan. This includes the annual review and update of the Bank's CRA plan goals and the development of appropriate strategies, products and services to support the achievement of these goals. Ms. Mueller also works with Valley's various business line segments to deliver a best-in-class CRA program that will maintain the Bank's position as a concerned corporate citizen with long-term ties to the communities it serves. Ms. Mueller was named Garden State Woman of the Year in the financial services category by Garden State Woman in 2011.

Mark Saeger

Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer

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  Mr. Saeger joined Valley in 2015 as the Department Head of New York Commercial Lending and brings over 30 years of banking experience to his new role. As the Chief Credit Officer, he will be responsible for monitoring and managing the aggregate risk trends in the Bank's loan portfolio. He will also develop enterprise-wide credit underwriting policies and procedures that support Valley’s strong credit culture and growth plans.
  
  Mr. Saeger received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Economics from Georgetown University and a Master’s Degree from the Stern School of Business – NYU.

Melissa F. Scofield

Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

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  Ms. Scofield is responsible for managing a number of independent control functions, including enterprise-wide Risk Management, Internal Audit, AML Compliance, Loan Review, Regulatory Compliance and Information Security. Prior to joining Valley, she served as an Assistant Deputy Comptroller for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the New York Field Office, where she supervised a team of examiners and a portfolio of national banks and federal thrift institutions. Ms. Scofield served in various examining and supervisory roles at the OCC through her nearly 34 year career, primarily within Community and Mid-Size Bank supervision. She was commissioned a National Bank Examiner in 1989 and earned the credential to lead examinations of Federal Savings Associations in 2013.

Yvonne Surowiec

Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

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  Ms. Surowiec joined Valley in 2017 and brings more than 30 years of experience as a highly accomplished leader and human capital strategist to her role at Valley. As Chief Human Resources Officer, she fosters a culture of progressive innovation by leading all human resources functions including recruiting, talent management, leadership development, organizational design, training and retention. She holds certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, Certified Compensation Professional and Certified Benefits Professional.