Business
Columbia Financial, Inc. Announces Appointment of New Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
FAIR LAWN, N.J., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBK) (the “Company”), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank

About this update from Columbia Financial, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"FAIR LAWN, N.J., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBK) (the “Company”), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that Matthew Smith has been appointed as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and the Bank effective as of November 25, 2024. The Company previously disclosed the retirement of E. Thomas Allen, Jr., the current Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and the Bank, effective as of January 31, 2025. Mr. Smith served as the Chief Digital Banking Officer and Head of Enterprise Product, Marketing and Transformation at Webster Bank from February 2022 until November 2024. Prior to that time, Mr. Smith served as Head of Digital Banking and Banking as a Service at Sterling National Bank from January 2020 to February 2022 (when Sterling National Bank was acquired by Webster Bank) and Chief Product and Marketing Strategy Officer of Sterling National Bank from October 2017 to January 2020. Thomas J. Kemly, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank, said on the appointment: “Matthew has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in banking operations, and we are pleased to welcome him to the Company and the Bank. We look forward to working with Matthew as part of our executive leadership team in an effort to continue to provide quality and convenient products and services to our customers.” Mr. Kemly continued, “We also extend our deepest appreciation to Tom Allen for his three decades of dedicated service to the Bank. Tom’s expertise and commitment have been instrumental in the continued success of the Company and the Bank and we wish him all the best on his well-deserved retirement.” About Columbia Financial, Inc. Columbia Financial, Inc. is a Delaware corporation organized as Columbia Bank's mid-tier stock holding company. Columbia Financial, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Columbia Bank, MHC. Columbia Bank is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey that operates 68 full-service banking offices and offers traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area.Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of th...