Santander Bank appointed David Harnisch head of portfolio management, underwriting and strategy in its commercial banking division. In this new role, Harnisch will oversee all underwriting, portfolio management, and business strategy for the Bank’s Commercial businesses.

Harnisch’s 25 years of experience and expertise in credit risk, portfolio management, asset management and client coverage will serve Santander well as it enhances its capabilities to better serve its commercial banking customers. Harnisch will play an integral role as Santander continues to grow and expand its Commercial Bank franchise.

Harnisch joined Santander from Citizens Financial Group where he was a member of the bank’s executive leadership group and head of commercial banking, underwriting and portfolio management. He was responsible for a $50 billion loan portfolio consisting of the asset finance, business capital, commercial real estate, leveraged finance, middle market, mid-corporate, industry vertical, specialty finance and private equity banking businesses.

Prior to Citizens, he served as managing director at CIT Group, where he built out three new businesses – Sponsor Finance, CIT Asset Management, a bank loan asset management platform, and CIT Problem Loan Management, a new centralized workout group.