People news: Berkshire Bank appoints Nicholl as CNY business-banking officer

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — Berkshire Bank has promoted Matthew Nicholl to vice president and business-banking officer for its Central New York region.

Nicholl works in Berkshire’s New Hartford office, according to a news release the bank issued Tuesday. He joined Berkshire Bank in April 2014. 

In his new role, Nicholl will focus on providing business-banking options to companies in Utica, Rome, and Syracuse, the banking company said. 

Nicholl is responsible for managing and growing the business portfolio in Central New York through “sourcing new business and growing deposits.”

Prior to Berkshire, Nicholl was a vice president and small-business banker in Central New York for Buffalo–based First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG).  He has 11 years of financial-services experience in the CNY market, Berkshire said. 

Beyond work duties, Nicholl is a board member and marketing committee chair for the United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica, a member of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of the Mohawk Valley, and 2015 graduate of Leadership Mohawk Valley, according to the news release.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts–based Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE: BHLB) is parent of Berkshire Bank.

It has $7.3 billion in assets and 96 branch offices in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

Locally, Berkshire Bank ranks number 8 in deposit market share in the 16-county Central New York market with $916 million in deposits, good for a 3.5 percent market share, through 18 branches in the area, according to June 30, 2014 FDIC data, the latest available.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com