Michael A. Guarino to retire as General Counsel in 2024

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE: MCB) (the “Company”), the holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the “Bank”), announced today the appointment of Frederik F. Erikson as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective September 25, 2023. He has joined the Executive Leadership Team and oversees all of the Company’s and Bank’s legal activities.

Mr. Erikson’s extensive commercial and retail banking legal career spans over two decades, primarily cultivated during his tenure at Webster Bank, N.A., based in Waterbury, Connecticut. While at Webster Bank, he held several leadership roles, including Deputy General Counsel for nine years. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Albany Law School of Union University, Albany, N.Y., and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York, Albany, N.Y.

“MCB is very fortunate to have added Fred to our Executive Leadership Team and appointed our General Counsel,” said Mark R. DeFazio, President and CEO. “Fred’s broad banking and legal background and ambition align well with the Bank’s strategic initiatives.”

“As a longtime industry professional, I look forward to supporting the growth and innovative strategy of MCB’s talented leadership team,” said Fred Erikson, Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

Mr. Erikson will succeed Michael A. Guarino, who served as MCB’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel for 15 years. Mr. Guarino is continuing as Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel until his retirement at the end of 2024.

“I want to thank Mr. Guarino for his years of dedication and leadership, which has helped shape the Bank’s franchise,” Mark R. DeFazio commented.

About Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE: MCB) is the parent company of Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the “Bank”), a New York City based full-service commercial bank.

The Bank provides a broad range of business, commercial and personal banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, private and public middle-market and corporate enterprises and institutions, municipalities and local government entities.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s Global Payments Group is an established leader in providing payments services to domestic and international non-bank financial service companies. The Bank continues to grow its presence as a valued, trusted and innovative strategic partner across, payments, custodial and money services businesses worldwide.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s EB-5 / E-2 International Group delivers banking services and products for United States Citizen and Immigration Services EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program investors, developers, Regional Centers, government agencies, law firms and consulting companies that specialize in EB-5 and E-2.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank was ranked by Independent Community Bankers of America among the top ten successful loan producers for 2023 by loan category and asset size for commercial banks with more than $1 billion in assets. The Bank finished ninth in S&P Global Market Intelligence’s annual ranking of the best-performing community banks with assets between $3 billion and $10 billion for 2022 and eighth among top-performing community banks in the Northeast region for 2022. The Bank is also a member of the Piper Sandler Sm-All Stars Class of 2022 and Kroll affirmed a BBB+ (investment grade) deposit rating on January 25, 2023.

The Bank is a New York State chartered commercial bank, a member of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and an equal housing lender.

For more information please, visit the Bank’s website at MCBankNY.com.

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