Pioneer has hired James Murphy as executive vice president and chief credit officer to oversee the quality of the Colonie-based bank’s commercial, residential and consumer lending portfolios.
Murphy was previously the chief commercial credit officer at Community Bank, where he was responsible for managing all commercial underwriting, loan policy and administration.
He replaces Rob Nichols, who has been with Pioneer since 2019. Nichols is leaving to pursue other opportunities, according to a release. Nichols is working with Pioneer through August to help with the transition.
Before joining Community Bank, Murphy was chief credit officer at Kinderhook Bank, which Community had acquired, and NBT Bank. He’s also worked at JPMorgan Chase and Chase Manhattan.
Murphy has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Siena College and an MBA from Russell Sage College. He lives in East Greenbush and is a board member of Pursuit.
Pioneer is one of the largest financial institutions in the region, with 22 offices and over $2 billion in assets. The bank’s stock (NASDAQ: PBFS) was selling at $9.59 a share on Tuesday morning.
Image by: Pioneer Bank
