Berkshire Bank names business banking managing director

Berkshire Bank, which has a significant presence in the Mohawk Valley region, recently announced it has promoted Rob Nichols to managing director of its business banking team. In his new role, Nichols oversees the team of business-banking professionals serving the needs of smaller to mid-sized businesses across Berkshire’s five-state market of Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Nichols’ experience includes several corporate and commercial-banking leadership positions including overseeing business-banking teams at Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and First Niagara Bank, as well as chief credit officer at a community bank in the Albany area. He joined Berkshire in September 2023 as senior VP, business banking team leader. A resident of the Capital region in New York, Nichols serves the community as treasurer and a member of the executive committee for the Capital District YMCA and on the board of the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce. He has taught entrepreneurship finance at Siena College. “Rob is a seasoned, results-driven leader whose sharp focus on both the client experience and empowering his team will help grow our business banking franchise and deliver best-in-class solutions for our clients,” Berkshire President/CEO Sean Gray said in a news release. Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire Bank is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB), which has $12.2 billion in assets. The banking company earlier this year announced it is planning to reduce its branch count to 86 after the sale of one office in East Syracuse, plus nine other branches in upstate and eastern New York. After the branch sale, expected to close by the end of the third quarter, Berkshire will continue to operate 16 branches in its core New York market including branches in Rome, New Hartford, Whitesboro, North Utica, West Winfield, and Ilion.