Peapack-Gladstone Financial makes series of hires across various divisions

Bedminster-based Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corp. on Wednesday announced nine new hires across its bank, capital and wealth management divisions.

  • Drew Blankenbiller joins Peapack-Gladstone Bank as assistant vice president, asset liability manager, finance. Blankenbiller is responsible for assisting in the management of financial risks related to the bank’s balance sheet, which includes a focus on the bank’s internal investment portfolio strategy.
  • Meanwhile, Peapack Private Investment Banking welcomed John Bolebruch, a senior adviser within the Corporate Advisory Group. Bolebruch assists the Corporate Advisory team in continuing to develop and grow its successful investment banking business. His responsibilities include client management, new business development and project oversight.
  • The financial entity also announced that Carrie Kittel joined Peapack Capital, a subsidiary of Peapack-Gladstone Bank, as vice president, equipment finance operations officer. With 19 years of experience across both consumer and commercial banking environments and now as a member of the Peapack Capital Equipment Finance Operations Team, Kittel is responsible for leasing operations, front-, mid- and back-office support, including reporting and process improvements. She is the technology point person for the organization’s Aspire leasing system.
  • Justin Koppel joins Peapack Private Wealth Management as a managing director, wealth adviser. He oversees new and existing client relationships with high-net-worth clients. Koppel has over 20 years of financial services experience and assists his clients in developing achievable goals and helping them understand their financial choices and portfolios.
  • Anna Neves joins Peapack Private Wealth Management as vice president, wealth client service coordinator. She provides direct support to the director of client service by managing projects, assisting with the oversight of third-party custodian relationships and operations and serving as an additional resource for other client service operations issues. Neves has over 35 years of financial services experience.
  • Todd Lukaitis joins Peapack-Gladstone Bank as vice president, underwriting, risk management-credit. Based in the Bank’s Red Bank location, Lukaitis is responsible for the underwriting and risk management of an existing commercial credit portfolio, as well as new clients.
  • Diane Mendes joins Peapack-Gladstone Bank as assistant vice president, commercial closer. She is responsible for managing the coordination, documentation review, and closing of commercial loans that meet the company’s documentation and due diligence standards, while collaborating with bankers, underwriters and bank counsel in order to facilitate the closing process.
  • Peapack-Gladstone Bank also welcomed Ian Meller as vice president within the Corporate Advisory Group at Peapack Private Investment Banking. He is responsible for helping clients with investment banking activities including sell side, buy side, corporate finance and corporate development advisory.
  • Al Flexon joins Peapack-Gladstone Bank as a senior analyst in the Corporate Advisory Group at Peapack Private Investment Banking. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the team with investment banking activities including sell side, buy side, corporate finance and corporate development advisory. Flexon holds a FINRA Series 79 license.