Citizens Financial advances high-net-worth ambitions with key hires

Citizens Financial advances high-net-worth ambitions with key hires
The bank has recruited two JPMorgan execs to help build out its private banking and wealth management businesses.
FEB 09, 2024

In a continuing effort to strengthen its presence across the wealth management and private banking spaces, Citizens Financial has bolstered its leadership with two critical hires.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. announced Michael Cherny as its new head of Citizens Wealth Management Advisors, while Tom Metzger has joined as head of Citizens Private Wealth Managers.

Cherny is a seasoned veteran with a nearly two-decade career in the financial services industry. He joins Citizens Financial from JPMorgan Chase, where he spent 18 years in progressively senior roles. Most recently, he led one of its largest regions, representing $60 billion in investment and deposit balances as the bank’s managing director in wealth.

In his new position with Citizens, Cherny will be advancing the bank’s wealth management ambitions by retaining and cultivating relationships with mass affluent and affluent clients from across the US.

Metzger is also joining Citizens Financial from JPMorgan, where he worked for six months as its head of wealth manager recruiting; prior to that, he held a similar position at First Republic Wealth Management. According to his LinkedIn profile, he spent roughly half of his 17-year career at Wells Fargo.

At Citizens Financial, Metzger will be leveraging his experience to put together and lead a new team of private wealth managers targeting new-to-bank clients in key US geographies.

"With the bank failures of 2023, it is clear that significant white space exists in the market for a new entrant to fill by delivering best-in-market customer service for Private Banking and Wealth Management clients," Brendan Coughlin, vice chair and head of consumer banking at Citizens, said in a statement.

“Hiring these two high-quality executives demonstrates the strength of Private Banking and Wealth Management talent that we have been able to attract to Citizens,” he said.

Following through on an announcement last fall, Citizens also revealed it first private banking office in Boston. It plans to expand its appeal to the family office market by opening other locations this year, including Palm Beach, Florida, and Mill Valley, California, in the spring.

The bank also wants to build a presence in New York and the San Francisco Bay area, though it has yet to reveal the timing for those locations.

Overloading on stocks in retirement often makes sense, says Horizon CIO

Latest News

Osaic executives Kristy Britt and Greg Cornick to leave
Osaic executives Kristy Britt and Greg Cornick to leave

The firm's CFO and EVP of Wealth Management Solutions are the latest executives to exit the broker-dealer.

Estate planning becomes a client retention issue for financial advisors, survey finds
Estate planning becomes a client retention issue for financial advisors, survey finds

Clients are saying they would consider switching advisors if another professional offered estate planning services, according to a new Trust & Will survey.

Candidly adds AI agents for Trump Accounts, workplace benefits
Candidly adds AI agents for Trump Accounts, workplace benefits

CEO Laurel Taylor says the fintech's composable AI stack helps workers optimize dollars across Trump Accounts, 529s, 401(k)s, and other employee benefits.

BMO adds three advisors in Dallas amid Y'all Street wealth boom
BMO adds three advisors in Dallas amid Y'all Street wealth boom

The bank has swiped three private banking veterans from BNY as the city climbs the ranks of America's fastest-growing wealth hubs.

UBS moves toward full-service US bank as plans to extend wealth business
UBS moves toward full-service US bank as plans to extend wealth business

Employee accounts, crypto trials and job cuts frame a pivotal year for the Swiss lender.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.