Brookline Bank is bulking up its commercial lending team north of Boston.
The company announced yesterday the hiring of Sean McGrath as vice president and John Rogers as senior vice president to work out of Brookline’s office in Wakefield, which focuses on business banking.
McGrath comes to Brookline Bank with skills ranging from commercial lending to insurance design and implementation. Prior to this new role, McGrath was vice president of business banking and a vice president of commercial lending at a major New England financial institution.
Rogers brings 30 years of knowledge in commercial banking, private banking, credit underwriting and wealth advisory to Brookline Bank. Rogers has served in various management capacities servicing business clients at major banks in Boston.
“Sean and John bring exceptional capabilities in commercial and industrial banking and will be a great asset to our growing roster of business customers in the North of Boston region,” Brookline Bank Senior Vice President David Paikin, who heads the Wakefield office, said in a statement. “Together we look forward to advancing Brookline Bank’s market presence and providing clients with the personal service and flexibility that our institution is known for.”
Brookline Bank last December launched the Wakefield office to focus on commercial and industrial lending.
“We see great commercial banking opportunities for Brookline Bank in markets north of Boston and we are so pleased to have David take on the important role of expanding our presence there,” Darryl Fess, president and CEO of Brookline Bank, said in a statement at the time.
The bank has seen solid growth in its commercial book over the past year. Commercial real estate has grown almost $300 million year-over-year, reaching $3.25 billion at the end of the first quarter. Commercial loans and leases reached $1.7 billion at the end of the first quarter, up about $180 million year-over-year, while equipment financing ended the first quarter at roughly $892 million, up about $77 million year-over-year.