Peapack-Gladstone Financial and Peapack Private Bank & Trust appointed Paul Kotronis as senior managing director, commercial real estate. In this role, Kotronis will support and expand the bank’s commercial real estate lending platform, drive relationship-based deposit growth and further strengthen Peapack Private’s presence in the New York and New Jersey markets.
“Paul’s extensive commercial real estate lending experience, deep market relationships and proven leadership make him an exceptional addition to our team,” Joseph Fingerman, senior managing director and president of commercial real estate at Peapack Private Bank & Trust, said. “His expertise in multifamily and commercial real estate finance will further enhance our ability to serve clients and support the continued growth of our lending platform.”
Kotronis brings more than 20 years of commercial real estate finance experience, with a proven track record of building large-scale lending platforms, managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios and driving profitable loan growth across diverse markets. He has extensive expertise in multifamily and commercial real estate lending and is recognized for balancing business growth objectives with disciplined risk management and regulatory compliance.
Prior to joining Peapack Private, Kotronis served as group director and senior vice president, CRE group at Signature Bank, where he managed a $5 billion commercial real estate portfolio with strong credit performance. During his tenure, he led and mentored a team of lenders and analysts, cultivated relationships with New York and New Jersey real estate sponsors, and originated more than $4 billion in multifamily and commercial real estate loans.
Kotronis also previously held the position of director and senior vice president at A&E Real Estate Finance, where he played a key role in launching a new commercial real estate debt fund platform where he developed lending policies, underwriting standards and operational infrastructure.
His prior experience also includes leadership roles at Santander Bank and New York Commercial Bank, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in commercial real estate lending, underwriting, portfolio management and relationship management.
Kotronis earned an MBA in finance and real estate from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and a bachelor of arts in economics with a minor in mathematics from Hunter College. Active in the community, Kotronis has served as co-chairman and benefactor of the Annual Greek Independence Day Parade and is a board member of the Federation of Hellenic Societies and president of the Eleftheriani Benevolent Society.
