Oak Ridge, N.J. – July 12, 2018 – Thomas J. Shara, President and CEO of Lakeland Bank, is pleased to announce that Ellen Lalwani, Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer and J.D. Allen, Vice President, Finance, recently graduated from the American Bankers Association (ABA) Stonier Graduate School of Banking held at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I strongly believe our staff members are the key to our success so offering opportunities for our colleagues to expand their professional development is a top priority at Lakeland,” said Shara. “The Stonier Graduate School of Banking is an intensive three-year program that focuses on preparing students to be future industry leaders, and I congratulate Ellen and J.D. on their graduation from this prestigious school.”
Ellen Lalwani, Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer began her career with Lakeland Bank in 2008 as Senior Vice President, Director of Retail Sales. She was promoted in January 2016 to First Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer and to her current position in October 2016. Prior to joining Lakeland, Lalwani worked for TD BankNorth as Vice President, Regional Sales Manager-Mid Atlantic Division. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President, Director, Direct Banking for Hudson United Bank in Mahwah, N.J. Lalwani earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in economics from St. John’s University. She is a member of the Society of Industry Leaders – Bank Technology, the St. John’s University Alumni Association and has taught religious education since 2001 at St. Luke’s Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. Lalwani resides in Ridgewood, N.J.
J.D. Allen, Vice President, Finance began his career with Lakeland Bank in December 2014 based at corporate headquarters in Oak Ridge. Previously, he was with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a Financial Reporting and Accounting Manager, and prior to that, was Assistant Vice President at Citi Hedge Fund Services, North America in Roseland. Allen earned a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in accounting and professional consultancy from Villanova University. He is a NJ Certified Public Account and AICPA Chartered Global Management Accountant. Allen resides in Sparta, N.J.
About ABA’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking
Offered in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking trains the future leaders of the industry. In 2018, more than 720 students attended Stonier, representing banks of all sizes and geographies, various regulatory agencies and international organizations. Stonier’s intensive three-year education program focuses on preparing future industry leaders with curriculum covering a variety of topics including capital planning, enterprise risk management, marketing strategy and technology and innovation. All participants are considered rising stars in their organizations and represent more than 48 states and 21 countries. For more than 80 years, Stonier has trained the nation’s top banking executives and government regulators, many of whom have reached the pinnacle of their organizations.
About Lakeland Bank
Lakeland Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBAI), which has $5.5 billion in total assets. The Bank operates 53 branch offices throughout Bergen, Essex, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties in New Jersey including one branch in Highland Mills, New York; six New Jersey regional commercial lending centers in Bernardsville, Jackson, Montville, Newton, Teaneck and Waldwick; and one in New York to serve the Hudson Valley region. Lakeland also has a commercial loan production office serving Middlesex and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. Lakeland Bank offers an extensive suite of financial products and services for businesses and consumers. Visit LakelandBank.com for more information.
