Charles M. Begley Jr. has joined Salem Five Bank as executive vice president of operations.

Begley will report directly to Executive Vice President Ping Yin Chai, who will succeed current CEO Joseph M. Gibbons as he prepares to step down at the end of 2014 and retire in July 2015.

Begley brings 24 years of banking and financial services experience to Salem Five, most recently working as executive vice president for operations and multi-channel at Sovereign Bank in Boston. He previously held multiple roles at Sovereign Bank, including executive vice president with leadership of various retail support, distribution channel and corporate services functions and executive vice president/co-director of community banking. Prior to joining Sovereign, Begley held senior roles within Fleet Financial Group, including branch banking market management, retail mortgage production and commercial loan workout.

"This critical role supports the execution of our vision for Salem Five," Gibbons said in a statement. "Our technology-driven environment demands executive leadership that understands the evolution of our business. Having worked in multiple business lines, from commercial lending to mortgage to retail to operations, Charlie is uniquely suited to this position."