First Niagara names Harnett to board of directors

BUFFALO, N.Y — The board of directors of First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNFG) announced that it has appointed Susan S. Harnett to serve as a director of the company and its First Niagara Bank, N.A. unit

Her appointment takes effect on Jan. 1.

Harnett began her financial-services career in 1979 in mortgage banking at Chicago thrifts that were acquired by Citigroup in the early 1980s, ascending through the ranks of Citi’s consumer-banking business and becoming president of Citibank Canada in Toronto. In 1999, she joined ABN Amro Bank N.V. as senior vice president of global e-commerce in Amsterdam. Two years later, Harnett returned to Citigroup and assumed global retail banking leadership positions in Europe and New York, including president, managing director and head, local consumer lending. 

In 2012 Harnett joined QBE North America, which is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. Most recently, she served as its chief operating officer.

“Sue brings a tremendous amount of financial services and insurance expertise to our Board, especially in the areas of consumer finance and retail banking. She also brings a proven record of success in driving operational excellence at large and complex financial services organizations that recognize the importance of local leadership and decision making in the regions they serve,” First Niagara Chairman Nathaniel D. Woodson said in a news release.

Harnett earned her M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.A. from Marquette University.

Buffalo–based First Niagara is the third-largest bank ranked by deposit market share in the 16-county Central New York area.

First Niagara has 410 branches, $38 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and about 5,800 employees across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.