First Republic Names Executives

First Republic Bank in Philadelphia has rehired Robert Mazzei as vice chairman in charge of business development.

Mr. Mazzei, who had held the post since 1996, left in April in the wake of an executive shake-up.

He then joined Vineland, N.J.-based Sun Bancorp as an executive vice president. He was recruited by the founders of Sun Bancorp, who were former colleagues at First Republic.

Mr. Mazzei said he returned to $536 million-asset First Republic because the strategies being implemented by its new president and chief executive officer, Robert D. Davis, were "more in line" with his own. Mr. Davis had joined First Republic shortly before Mr. Mazzei left.Mr. Mazzei has 35 years of commercial loan generation and business development experience at several Philadelphia-based banks, including United Valley Bank.

First Republic has also hired Robert S. Groff as senior vice president for commercial lending. Mr. Groff came from Mellon Bank, whose Maryland business banking team he managed. Earlier he worked at Mellon PSFS with his current superior, James V. Schermerhorn, First Republic's executive vice president and chief lending officer.

Finally, First Republic hired Stephen Phillips as vice president of commercial banking, a newly created position. Mr. Phillips also came from Mellon; he was a cash management representative in Philadelphia, and earlier a lending manager in the bank's business banking loan center there. He will work in commercial and industrial loan development and will also be responsible for gathering deposits in the branch system and building retail relationships.

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