Berkshire Hills Bancorp : 05/25/2021 - Berkshire Bank Appoints Sumant Pustake to Chief Transformation Officer

Berkshire Bank Appoints Sumant Pustake to Chief Transformation Officer

Boston, MA - May 25, 2021 - Berkshire Bank, a purpose-driven community bank with locations primarily in New England and New York, today announced that Sumant Pustake had been named Chief Transformation Officer. Sumant has served in a range of roles in the banking industry since joining Berkshire in 2017, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development Officer. In his new role, Sumant will lead transformation efforts and provides essential support to solve large, complex challenges and drive high company performance. He will partner with Sean Gray, President, and COO of Berkshire Bank, to drive business strategy and transformation.

Sean Gray said: 'The energy and depth of experience Sumant has added to our team strengthens our ability to innovate and strategically position Berkshire Bank to make a significant impact as a community bank. Sumant's expertise will be valuable as we work to deliver business growth to our clients. I am thrilled to have him taking on this expanded role as we move our businesses into the future and further transform Berkshire Bank.'

Sumant Pustake said: 'I am grateful to Sean and Berkshire's leadership for affording me this opportunity. I am incredibly excited to accelerate growth at Berkshire Bank by leading our transformation and aligning our business practices with our industry's evolving realities. Over my nearly 13 years in banking, I have fully embraced the strength of Berkshire's culture and talent. Our customers rightfully see us as thought-leaders, and we must innovate and deliver to maintain their trust. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure our position as a leading community bank sustains for years to come.'

Sumant has more than 13 years of banking experience most recently overseeing Berkshire's corporate development efforts, where he served as the development leader defining and realizing the vision and growth strategy. Prior to joining Berkshire Bank, he served as Vice President, Head of Corporate Credit for Commerce Bank and Trust. Passionate about the intersection of innovation and growth, Sumant is known for taking a customer-centric approach to achieving profitable growth while delivering exceptional service. Sumant holds a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management, a Master of Finance from Clark University, and a Bachelor of Electronics Engineering from University of Pune.

About Berkshire Bank

Berkshire Bank is transforming what it means to bank its neighbors socially, humanly and digitally to empower the financial potential of people, families and businesses in its communities as it pursue its vision of being the leading socially responsible omni-channel community bank in the markets it serves.

Berkshire Bank provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, wealth management, investment, and insurance services. The Bank has approximately $12.8 billion in assets and operates 118 branch offices primarily in New England and New York, with an agreement to sell its eight Mid-Atlantic branches. Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE: BHLB) is the parent of Berkshire Bank and is a member of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. To learn more, call 800-773-5601 or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.