BCB Bancorp, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Ryan Blake, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2021, to serve as a member on its board. Blake is an experienced banking and financial services executive that has grown in successive roles within BCB for the past 14 years. He has risen through the ranks of the bank due to his leadership performance and tireless commitment to BCB's success. Through Blake's strategic guidance, the bank has made aggressive updates to both their online and mobile banking experience to attract and better serve an increasingly younger and more diverse customer base. The 32-year-old executive leader, Blake is the youngest seniorC-Suite banker in New Jersey and the first out LGBT+ executive to serve on BCB's board of directors. BCB's advanced banking experience allows it to meet customers' evolving technological demands, while staying competitive with financial products that will help their retail customers and valued commercial clients meet their goals and loan needs. With more than $3.26 billion in assets, BCB is the 17th financial institution in New Jersey and the 11th NJ-based bank by deposit size. The bank has reached impressive growth within the region while remaining independent, ranking them as one of the top 10 community banks in the state due to their superior customer service and knowledgeable banking staff. As a rising star, Blake got his start as an executive associate to the bank's CEO & CFO while attending Kean University. He earned the trust and confidence of the bank's CEO, Tom Coughlin, allowing him to progress in his career as a Financial Analyst, Investor Relations Manager, then on to becoming BCB's Vice President and Controller.
Blake recently underwent executive leadership training from the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Rutgers University, and two Bachelor's degrees from Kean University, Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. A native of Bayonne, Blake currently resides in Fanwood, NJ with his fiancé and dogs. Blake is an active volunteer within his community, and demonstrates his service through his appointment as a Director and Trustee of the Bayonne Public Library, volunteer-Vice President and Trustee of the Rotary International, and is a former board director of the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce.