Brendan Coughlin, president of Citizens Financial Group, has assumed oversight of commercial banking, adding to a portfolio that already includes the bank’s consumer banking, private bank and wealth businesses as well as several enterprise functions. Ted Swimmer, head of commercial banking and a member of Citizens’ executive committee since 2018, will report to Coughlin and continue to lead that business.
“Brendan has consistently shown he can take on broader responsibilities and deliver impressive results, and adding commercial banking to his remit is a natural next step in broadening and deepening his experience across all aspects of the bank,” Bruce Van Saun, chairman and CEO of Citizens, said. “The commercial bank is having a strong year and is very well positioned for the future, and I look forward to continued growth under Ted’s leadership.”
A 20-plus-year Citizens veteran, Coughlin was named president of Citizens in April 2025. In addition to the bank’s lines of business, he oversees marketing and enterprise data and analytics. He also leads Citizens’ “Reimagine the Bank” initiative, a broad multi-year effort to simplify how the company works, modernize core processes and technology, and improve the customer, client and colleague experience.
Swimmer was named head of commercial banking in October 2025 and has continued to advance the business’ client-focused strategy across corporate banking, private capital, commercial real estate, treasury and wholesale payments, and capital markets and advisory.
