Sterling National Bank announced seven new additions to its relationship banking teams as part of its ongoing effort to invest in high-growth areas and deliver a broad range of financial products and services to its clients. The new hires bring to Sterling a diverse range of expertise and a proven track record of success in the Metro New York market.

“We look forward to leveraging the insights of these outstanding individuals as we continue to expand our specialty finance capabilities,” said Howard Applebaum, president of Specialty Finance & National Markets. “These additions are part of our strategy to continuously improve our team-based delivery model by onboarding the industry’s top talent to better serve our clients’ needs.”

Bill Bahls was named managing director. Bahls will deliver factoring and asset-based lending service to high-growth and leveraged companies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including importers, distributors and manufacturers. He was previously the Mid-Atlantic regional manager at Keltic Financial Services, and also served as vice president, Business Development at Summit Financial Resources.

Neil Wolfe was named managing director. Wolfe will oversee clients’ day-to-day factoring and trade finance borrowing needs. He was previously a senior vice president of Business Development at Bibby Financial Services, where he was responsible for developing and managing relationships in the middle market throughout the Northeast.

Neal Landerer was named managing director. Landerer will be managing and developing asset-based lending opportunities for clients in various industries. He was previously at Israel Discount Bank of New York for 15 years, where he spent the bulk of his tenure as a relationship manager. In that capacity, he managed an asset-based lending portfolio in excess of $200 million.

Robert Schepis was named managing director. Schepis will be responsible for monitoring existing loan facilities and introducing new relationships to the bank. He was previously senior vice president of Business Banking and market credit officer for Capital One Bank.

In addition to the new members of the specialty finance teams, Sterling has added depth to its New York Metro commercial banking team with three new additions.

Tej Brahmbhatt was named senior managing director. Brahmbhatt was previously with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he helped lead a commercial banking team as a relationship manager in New York City. He has worked across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on wholesalers, suppliers, and service industries.

Michael Oliveros was named senior managing director. Oliveros has more than 17 years of commercial banking experience. He has particular expertise in the areas of commercial lending and treasury management solutions, with a focus on professional service companies and service provider firms. He joins Sterling from Bank of America, where he served as a senior client manager.

Carol Brown was named client service representative. Browne most recently served as client service representative at Citibank. She also brings more than 10 years of experience from BNY Mellon and PNC Bank in similar capacities.

“We are very excited to have this outstanding group join our New York Metro commercial banking team,” added David Bagatelle, president of NY Metro Markets. “The range of skills and expertise they bring to the table will help us continue to deliver high-value solutions and outstanding service to our broadening client base across the market.”