Signature Bank announced the appointment of a new three-person private client banking team based out of its private client banking office in White Plains, NY, in Westchester County.

Additionally, the Bank announced the opening of its private client banking office in Greenwich, CT, which marks its 29th office. Concurrent with the opening, an existing three-person banking team led by group director and senior vice president Thomas P. Mooney, will relocate to the Greenwich office. Mooney’s team had been temporarily working from the White Plains office since joining the bank in March 2014.

Nicholas R. Melendez, named group director and senior vice president, heads the newly appointed White Plains team. Melendez spent the past 15 years at Wells Fargo Bank and its predecessor banks in White Plains, most recently as district manager and vice president, a position where he focused on acquiring and serving commercial clients and managing the district’s business portfolio. He also oversaw the commercial business in districts across Long Island, Yonkers and NYC during his tenure.

Melendez is joined by other team members: Keston Williams, named associate group director and Sheraz Muhammad, the team’s senior client associate. Williams joins from Citibank in Greenwich, where he most recently was business banker – VP. In that capacity, he served a vast commercial clientele spanning professional services firms throughout Connecticut and Westchester. Prior, he spent four years at Wells Fargo in a range of commercial banking positions, where he worked with Melendez. Earlier in his 14-year banking career, Williams worked at JPMorgan Chase locations throughout the metro-New York area. Muhammad worked with Melendez at Wells Fargo, where he held the role of branch manager – assistant vice president at the North White Plains branch, managing the branch and overseeing a staff of 11.

While Melendez and his team settle into White Plains, Mooney and his team relocate from there to the new Greenwich office, located at 75 Holly Hill Lane. Signature Bank opened the Greenwich private client banking office, signifying its entry into the Connecticut market. This process is in line with the Bank’s proven strategy to identify veteran banking professionals with an established presence in key markets, and then build offices based on the bankers’ local experience and solid relationships.

Mooney had spent a decade at JPMorgan Chase, most recently as Northeast Region recruiting manager, handling recruitment for the entire Northeast for nearly two years. Previously, he was district manager, based in Fairfield, CT, with oversight of all the branches there, serving affluent business and personal clients.

Richard Carr and Joseph Cambareri are part of Mooney’s team, bringing years of experience in Fairfield County to the Bank, after having worked together at JPMorgan Chase. Carr, associate group director and vice president, and Cambareri, relationship manager, joined with Mooney one year ago. Susan Gladstone joins Signature Bank now as financial center manager, just as the Bank opens its Greenwich office. She spent her entire 29-year banking career at JPMorgan Chase. Dorothy Fronio, with 40 years of branch banking experience, was recently appointed assistant financial center manager/head teller. Previously, she spent 23 years at JPMorgan Chase and worked at various banks acquired by the firm over the years.

“We are demonstrating our continued momentum of new team appointments with the addition of Nick and his team. White Plains is an area where there are many privately owned businesses and over the years, Nick’s team has forged strong relationships throughout Westchester County. We welcome Nick and his team to the Bank, and look forward to their contributions in an important market for us,” said Signature Bank president and chief executive officer Joseph J. DePaolo.

“Furthermore, we are pleased to open our 29th office in Greenwich and expand our footprint into the Connecticut marketplace. This is a primary example of how we build offices once seasoned bankers join our institution. This is a further step as we broaden our reach throughout the metro-NY area through the strength of our private client banking team network,” DePaolo explained.