Former Citi Exec John Stewart Named Chief of FNBNY Unit

FNBNY Bancorp has named a former president of Citibank New York as the chief executive of its First National Bank of New York.

John F. Stewart has been an "essential advisor to the FNBNY team since its inception," the company said Thursday. FNBNY completed its acquisition of Madison National Bancorp this spring after several delays as it waited for the Federal Reserve Board to approve its application to become a financial holding company. The deal had originally been announced in October 2010.

In 2009, Stewart retired after a 25-year career with Citigroup (NYSE:C) where he served in various roles, including managing director of Citibank's U.S. branch distribution, president and CEO of Diners Club Canada and managing director of the Atlantic division of CitiFinancial. He also served as chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association and treasurer of the New York Bankers Association.

Stella M. Mendes was named president of First National Bank, which is based in Melville, N.Y., and has assets of $298 million. She was chief retail banking officer for Madison National Bank, where she was one of the principal architects of that bank's retail franchise, FNBNY said. Mendes also previously served as a regional manager at New York Community Bank.