Huntington Names New President for Western Pa. Region

Huntington Bankshares (HBAN) has snagged a veteran executive from RBS Citizens Financial Group to head its operations in the Pittsburgh area.

The Columbus, Ohio, company announced Tuesday it has named Susan Baker Shipley president of its western Pennsylvania and Ohio Valley region.

Shipley, who will lead the commercial business segment and oversee Huntington's businesses and relationships in the area, spent a decade at RBS Citizens in several executive posts, most recently as head of global trade finance for North America. She previously held a series of leadership positions with PNC Financial (PNC) over the course of 14 years with the company.

Shipley says she has admired Huntington from afar for a while. "While in various positions over the last couple of years, I've watched Huntington as a strong competitor in the market," Shipley told American Banker. “I've always seen them as a strong regional bank."

"As I was contemplating my next professional move, moving to an organization that has those strengths from a leadership, colleague and client perspective, it really made sense to me professionally," she added.

The Pittsburgh native says the region's prospects attracted her as well. "There's going to be a lot of growth in this region," Shipley said. "There's going to be a lot of opportunity to bring value and expertise, and to really listen to our customers to understand how to really serve them."

Shipley, a self-described Steelers fan, says she's looking forward to her new post. "I'm a hometown girl who has always had my roots there and I'm really excited about being able to once again focus my energies on the growth in this region," Shipley said.

The $56 billion-asset Huntington has 53 offices in Pittsburgh and the Ohio valley. In October, the company reported its most profitable quarter since 2007.