News
March 25, 2022M&T Bank Names New Regional President for Capital Region
Charles Pinckney has been named M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB) Regional President for New York’s Capital Region—a market where the bank has grown its local deposit share while remaining the area’s top commercial mortgage lender. He will take on the added regional leadership responsibilities while remaining in a senior role supporting commercial real estate, middle market, healthcare and not-for-profit businesses.
“Charles has made a substantial impact for our customers and communities in his 14 years with M&T. He has helped companies throughout the region secure funding and adopt customized solutions to launch big projects and new initiatives, remaining focused on ensuring his work contributes to inclusive growth and strengthens the community,” said Mike Keegan, M&T Bank executive vice president and head of community banking. “Our unique community model empowers local leaders to combine their banking expertise with a deep understanding of their region in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience and uplift our communities. With his local knowledge and personal commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, Charles will be an outstanding leader for this region.”
Under its local engagement model, M&T separates the geographic areas it serves into community regions led by regional presidents. Because they know their communities best, these regionally based teams work to create differentiated strategies to serve their markets, combining the capabilities of a large institution with the care and empathy of a neighborhood bank. They also make decisions locally about community activities, grants and lending.
Pinckney will play a critical role in executing this community banking model. He will serve as a convener for the community, bringing together diverse stakeholders to explore and address regional challenges. He will also be an advocate for the region externally and internally within the bank, ensuring the bank’s executives understand the needs of their community and regional economy. And, he will remain close to the bank’s customers as a leader on the commercial banking team, continuously improving the local customer experience.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the Capital Region as M&T Bank’s regional president,” Pinckney said. “Our bank’s unique strength is the way we combine our robust capabilities with the engagement model of a community-based organization. In the new leadership role, I will rely on this strength as we collaborate with our customers and community partners to create positive change and foster inclusive economic growth. The Capital Region has many unique strengths of its own — from our vibrant innovation ecosystem to our growing creative economy — and I am looking forward to leveraging M&T’s capabilities to help our hometowns grow even stronger.”
During his 14 years with M&T, Pinckney has gained a depth of commercial banking experience. He served in the roles of team leader and commercial relationship manager prior to his promotion to senior group manager for commercial real estate, healthcare and not-for-profit businesses.
Pinckney has long been an active member of both the M&T and Capital Region communities. He is the chair of the Center for Disability Services Commercial Services Advisory Board and a member of the Center’s Governing Board of Directors. He was previously a member of Union College’s Community Scholars Executive Committee, and in 2016, the Albany Business Review named him to its 40 Under 40 list. Pinckney resides in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife Amy and two children.
Pinckney will transition into the role from Beth Beshaw, who accepted a promotion within the bank to oversee the continuous improvement and ongoing implementation of its regional community bank model. In her new role as senior director of strategy and execution on M&T’s Community Banking team, Beshaw will work to build upon and expand the bank’s unique approach to banking across the markets it serves. She will focus on helping the bank’s regional teams implement customized, market-specific strategies that leverage the power and capabilities of the entire bank to meet the needs of local customers and communities.
Beshaw joins the Community Banking team led by Mike Keegan, who earlier in his M&T career served as regional president for the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.
“It has been an incredible experience leading our bank in the Capital Region. It provided lessons in building community and cultivating collaboration that I’ll carry with me forever, especially as I get started with our Community Banking team,” Beshaw said. “I’m excited to help strengthen and implement the high-impact model we deployed locally in our regions throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. I’m also excited for Charles. He is an outstanding banker and steward of our community. I’m confident he’ll bring the same level of leadership and dedication to his new role of regional president.”
In the Capital Region, M&T Bank employs 300 people, operates 12 branches and maintains a regional headquarters — providing local management, administrative and charitable direction — at Great Oaks Office Park in Albany. In 2020, M&T contributed over $480,000 more than 95 nonprofits in the region.
