Santander taps former JPMorgan Chase exec to lead bank’s southern, western New England region

SARAH LINDSTROM has been appointed president of Santander Bank’s southern and western New England region. / COURTESY SANTANDER
SARAH LINDSTROM has been appointed president of Santander Bank’s southern and western New England region. / COURTESY SANTANDER

BOSTON – Santander Bank this week appointed Sarah Lindstrom as president of the bank’s southern and western New England region.
Lindstrom, formerly a JPMorgan Chase senior vice president, takes over from long-time Santander-Sovereign Bank employee Brian Azar, who left the Boston-based bank for undisclosed reasons. Azar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Consumer and business banking’s regional leadership is the lynchpin of our business, responsible for all facets of branch performance as well as ensuring our regions meet their goals and objects,” said Michael Cleary, Santander’s head of consumer and business banking.
Santander’s retail network is divided into four regions throughout the Northeast, each with a region president. Lindstrom, while working as market manager for the Los Angeles North region and leader for the Midwest in-store market in Chicago and Michigan, led 10 districts and more than 100 branches while at JPMorgan, according to a press release.
Her expertise lies in branch technology, having successfully led a rollout in branches in New York, Ohio, Texas, Arizona and Illinois, according to Santander.
“Sarah is a motivational team builder and accountable leader with strategic, result-oriented experience. She has track records in operational excellence, sale performance, improving customer service and optimizing employee engagement,” Cleary continued.
As region president at Santander, Lindstrom is responsible for operations and sales at more than 140 branches in Rhode Island, the greater Hartford, Conn., area and southeastern and central Massachusetts.
Azar, who worked as region president since 2004, successfully helped Rhode Island through the Santander rebranding effort in 2013 after its Spain-based parent, Banco Santander SA, finished its acquisition of Sovereign Bank in 2009.

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